Dough molding craftsmanship in North China

Three craftswomen, all beyond 70s, make dough figurines in preparation for a local competition in Guojiazhuang village of Wenxi county, North China's Shanxi province, in the photo taken on Feb 1, 2012. Wenxi county is famous for its dough craftsmanship, and each of the county's 342 administrative villages has its own skilled artists. The traditional craftsmanship has a rich cultural tradition of thousands of years, and it was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. Made mainly from flour, the colorful dough serves as the main food for Wenxi locals after being steamed. Dough figurines, though created with ordinary tools like scissors, combs and kitchen knives, are of vital importance in big rituals in the county. They appear as essential articles of tribute in local festivals, weddings and birthday banquets. [Photo/CFP]