[Video provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Chinese word for gourd, hulu, has a sound similar to the Mandarin words for fortune and happiness, fu and lu. Consequently, the gourd has long been considered an auspicious plant. Craftsmen have used them as a canvas for art to bring people luck. Dongchang gourd carving was already popular in the Song Dynasty (1127-1279) and it is now one of the national intangible cultural heritage items. Check out this video to learn more about Dongchang gourd carving.