Zengcheng Olive Carving

Zengcheng Olive Carving

　　Zengcheng is rich in black and white olives, with black olives being one of the Four Treasures of Zengcheng. In addition to being made into salted olive wedges, oil olive wedges, and five-spice olive wedges, the olive pits are also excellent material for olive carving.

　　Zengcheng olive carving is one of the carving crafts, with a history of over 300 years. The craft originated in Xintang Town, Zengcheng, and was an annual tribute during the Qing Dynasty. The most famous piece in history is the “Su Dongpo’s Night Tour of the Red Cliff” flower boat carved by the Xintang old artisan Zhan Gusheng during the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, which was hailed as the “King of Carvings.” The full text of Su Dongpo’s “Former Ode on the Red Cliff,” totaling 537 characters, is carved on the bottom of the boat, while the figures are exquisitely crafted and remarkably lifelike. This rare treasure is now housed in the Zengcheng Museum.