At the beginning of the new year, CCTV’s cultural documentary Artifacts from Hongshan, brought the Hongshan Culture of China back into the spotlight. The international students from Ireland, South Korea and Japan attended a lively class of the Hongshan Culture at the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts in Shenyang City. During the class, they used leather patchwork craftsmanship to recreate the representative artifact of the Hongshan Culture—Jade Pig-shaped Dragon.

Associate Professor Xiu Xiaoti from the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts showed the documentary Artifacts from Hongshan in class. She introduced to international students the significance of the Hongshan Culture in the origin of Chinese civilization, as well as the representative artifacts unearthed at the Niuheliang Site. Professor Xiu broke down the design of the jade pig-shaped dragon into eight parts and demonstrated how to craft the shape using various materials such as leather, beads, and silk threads. According to their individual preferences, international students selected different colors of materials, used techniques such as layering, patching, and stitching, and finally crafted leather-patched jade pig-shaped dragons.

International students excitedly “assembled” jade pig-shaped dragons by themselves. Upon learning that jade pig-shaped dragon was used as a sacrificial object by ancient Chinese people and that those who wore it held high status, Irish student Mike Yang chose to decorate the leather-patched “jade pig-shaped dragon” with pearls. “Honestly, I didn’t know much about the Hongshan Culture before. But through this immersive experience, I’ve developed a strong interest in the mysterious Hongshan Culture,” said Mike Yang. “Taking this jade pig-shaped dragon for example, it tells the civilization story of Hongshan ancestors on the land of Liaoning Province, allowing us to better understand Chinese civilization.”

Jade pig-shaped dragons with various designs are lively and fashionable. They can be used both as pendants for necklaces and as accessories for backpacks, captivating students’ attention. During this activity, international students actively interacted with Prof. Xiu and gained much from the exchanges. By precisely crafting the shape of the jade pig-shaped dragon using leather patching techniques, they appreciated the unique artistic value of the Hongshan artifacts. They held their creations in their hands, examining and playing with them carefully. They also planned to visit the Liaoning Provincial Museum together during the winter holiday to closely appreciate the precious jade pig-shaped dragon unearthed from the Niuheliang Site.