Wang Qingzhong, an egg carving master from Shandong's Tai'an city, offered a special lecture on the delicate art form at the weekly Shandong intangible cultural heritage classroom on July 28 in Jinan, capital of Shandong province.

At the beginning of the course Wang introduced the preparation techniques such as how to choose an egg and a few security tips.

"Egg shells are slippery and the nicking tools are sharp, so we need to wear gloves while carving," said Wang.

Wang also displayed some of his eggshell carvings. All the children were instantly intrigued by the exquisite and magical egg art and were eager to get their hands dirty.

"I can't imagine how it's possible to carve figures and sceneries on such tiny and delicate eggshells," said a kid from a local primary school.

Wang showed the kids the detailed techniques for carving patterns on eggshells.

"You must be very careful and patient because the eggshells are very thin and fragile."

According the Wang, learning egg carving empowers students to develop character qualities such as attentiveness and creativity.

About 30 kids took part in the class, all immersed in the creation of their own egg carving.

"I eventually managed to carve a bird on the fragile eggshell and I felt very proud of myself," said a fifth-grader from Minghu Elementary School.

Organized by the Shandong Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, the classroom has been open every Saturday since last year in a bid to introduce and teach the province's intangible cultural heritages to kids.

Each course is taught by a national or provincial level intangible cultural inheritor and children between 6 and 12 can sign up for the classes.

Wang Qingzhong, an egg carving craftsman from Shandong's Tai'an city, offers a lecture on the delicate egg art at the weekly Shandong intangible cultural heritage classroom on July 28 in Jinan, capital of Shandong province. [Photo/sdpcc.cn]

Wang Qingzhong, an egg carving master, demonstrates carving skills to a kid on July 28 at the Shandong Provincial Cultural Center. [Photo/sdpcc.cn]