Crafting Flavor for the Chinese Lunar New Year: The Art of Huamo in Shanting District

ZAOZHUANG, China, Feb. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from Publicity Department of the CPC Zaozhuang Shanting District Committee:

Residents in Shanting district, Zaozhuang, Shandong province, have a tradition of making Huamo, or flower-shaped steamed buns, during the Chinese Lunar New Year. This custom signifies welcoming the New Year and is believed to bring about a better year than the previous one.

Wang Wei, the inheritor of the local intangible cultural heritage of dough modeling, has been busy in her workshop in the new town of Shanting, crafting these steamed buns. As 2024 is the Year of the Dragon in the lunar calendar, many of the steamed buns feature elements of dragons. Wang uses different colors of flour and various skills to create a variety of steamed buns, which are mostly handmade.

In Shanting, flower-shaped steamed buns are not only preserving traditional crafts but also creating new styles and flavors. Modern technologies have been employed to design cartoon-like steamed buns, which are adorned by many people in the area.