Many people may throw away the nuts（核） after eating fruits，but artists of nut carving（核雕） have instead collected them and turned them into artworks.
"One nut，from 0.8 to 6 centimeters，can be made into beautiful earrings and other artworks，"said Tan Wanhai，the top artist of Weifang nut carving.
The history of nut carving might start from the Qing Dynasty （1636- 1912）.During that time，Wang Dayan，the best artist in the Palace Museum，spread the skill to the local people in Shandong province.Because of the difficult carving skills required and its rich artistic meanings，Weifang nut carving was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008.
" It's ▲ to bring this kind of traditional art to life，" said Tan，the 48-year-old artist."Every nut looks different before being carved，"Tan added.Artists have to study each nut to carefully plan out their artwork.Besides，according to Tan，they have to learn about some skills in painting and handwriting art from many traditional cultures."In order to show folk stories from ancient times，I need to read many books to enrich myself."
"Artists in the past have been wise enough to turn common things into objects of beauty.In recent years，thanks to the creative ideas of artists in Weifang，nut carving artworks have been increasingly welcomed by people in China，"Tan said."This popularity，in turn，has also attracted many young people to learn the traditional skills of nut carving，create new skills and even help to pass down the skills to future artists."
