Young carver from Anhui turns compressed tea into handicrafts

Xu Xiaoming was born in 1994 into a family engaged in the Three Types of Huizhou Carving for many years.

Three Types of Huizhou Carving refers to brick, stone and wood, with a history of hundreds of years in Huizhou, or Huangshan City today.

Influenced by his ancestors, he is very interested in bricks and grey tiles.

He came up with the idea of carving on tea bricks after finding that the bricks for carving are very similar to those made from dark tea.

After years of exploration, the young man gradually mastered the skills of carving on tea bricks.

Tea brick carving is done on dark tea bricks that have been kept for ages and requires delicate carving techniques, Xu said.

This kind of carving is not only ornamental, but also gives off the fragrance of tea, which is incomparable to brick, stone and wood carvings.

Tea brick carving was not a proper occupation for young people in the eyes of Xu's ancestors.

However, Xu thought the active thinking and brave characteristics of young people would help preserve this traditional craft and promote its revival.