Dough figurine (Mianren) art has been dated back to over 2, 000 years. It's said that before the Hanshi Festival in Spring, people made dough(面团)swallows(燕子)and hung them above the gate. It was to express their good wishes to the coming spring.
Among different art styles of dough figurines all over the country, Dough Figurine Lang, created by Lang Shao'an, is an art unique(独特的) to Beijing. The subject of Dough Figurine Lang is mainly about describing the real traditional life of Beijingers. Mianren Lang has top skills in the art of making dough figurines.
▲ You should be calm, careful and quick. If your hand moves carelessly, you will make mistakes. So keep calm. Then you should find the right place to stick the nose and other parts on. You must be quick, or else, the dough gets dry and useless.
Lang Jiaziyu, the grandson of Lang Shao'an, is the third—generation inheritor(继承人) of this craft. He is creative and finds ways to introduce Dough Figurine Lang to the young generation. He has introduced movies and cartoons into dough figurine art. His creativity has won the hearts of many young people. In order to let more people know about this art and understand the culture behind it, Lang Jiaziyu also teaches students how to make dough figurines in some schools.