The three Huizhou-style crafts of carvings

The three Huizhou-style crafts of carvings – brick carving, stone carving and wood carving – were included in China's first list of national intangible cultural heritage items in 2006.

Experts say that there are no buildings without these forms of carvings in ancient Huizhou architecture. They say that this trio of local handicrafts not only represents supreme traditional work, but is also a reflection of profound culture. Their themes were deeply influenced by Confucian culture and most of them depict episodic myths and allusions, stories, folk legends, customs and traditions.

Wooden structures decorated with exquisite Huizhou wood carvings are often an important load-bearing component of many buildings in the region. [Photo/WeChat ID: gh_fddd8e6b4139]

Huizhou brick carvings adorn many gatehouses, doors and windows of residential houses. [Photo/WeChat ID: gh_fddd8e6b4139]

A carpenter displays Huizhou stone carvings, which are mainly used for the decoration of columns, doors and walls, memorial gates and tombs. [Photo/WeChat ID: gh_fddd8e6b4139]

The Grand Huizhou Merchant Mansion is a magnificent structure. [Photo/WeChat ID: gh_fddd8e6b4139]

Located in Huicheng town in Shexian county, administered by Huangshan city, the Grand Huizhou Merchant Mansion is a huge residential complex comprising of 26 mansions and hundreds of houses, which took the owner 20 years to rebuild. It features more than 14,000 exquisite, three-dimensional Huizhou-style carvings.

With its high walls shaped like horse heads and its refined wood and stone carvings, it has been filmed by various TV series and is a beloved site for Huizhou-style architecture lovers.