Before the upcoming National Day holiday, a gentle fragrance permeates a traditional incense-making studio in Shenyang. International students from Shenyang Normal University are immersing themselves in the art of handcrafting embroidered sachets featuring the jade pig-shaped dragon, all while exploring the rich heritage of Hongshan culture.

Recently, the 70th Anniversary Symposium on the Naming of Hongshan Culture unveiled the latest archaeological discovery – the largest jade pig-shaped dragon ever found in the world. On this occasion, the “Artistic Depiction of Hongshan Culture”, hosted by Liaoning International Communication Center, once again exhibited the form of jade pig-shaped dragon in folk art, paying tribute to the latest archaeological discovery of the Hongshan culture with international students in Liaoning.

The jade pig-shaped dragon, with its unique design and exquisite craftsmanship, has become a symbolic icon of the Hongshan culture. The ancient artifact highlights the extraordinary skill of Chinese craftsmen, and reveals the distinctive style of ancient China. Li Xia, inheritor of traditional incense-making techniques, crafts sachets inspired by the jade pig-dragon. While showing the students the visual characteristics and rich symbolism of the jades in pictures, she explains the process of making embroidered sachets. The first step in making a sachet is to outline the jade pig-shaped dragon pattern on cotton fabric. Next, green thread is used for embroidery, followed by stitching the two embroidered pieces together. Then, the sachet is filled with a blend of spices and cotton, and finally adorned with colorful tassels.

Under Li Xia’s guidance, the students fill the sachets with fragrant herbs such as lemongrass, mint, and lavender, then carefully sew them up. Enveloped in the delightful aromas, they immerse themselves in the joy of experiencing traditional Chinese culture, posing for photos with their handcrafted jade pig-shaped dragon embroidered sachets.