Gold Splendor

Decorating houses with intricate woodcarving, many derived from architectural structures, used to be a tradition in Guangdong province. Often coated with a thin layer of gold, the glittering articles present a variety of dazzling techniques of sculpting and cutting. And they bear complicated patterns and motifs to include folktales, customs, historic figures, mythological characters and other highly decorated themes with auspicious wishes and good lives. Splendor of Gold and Wood, an exhibition now on at Shenzhen Museum, Guangdong province, celebrates this craft and underlying local cultural implications. It shows three popular styles: People in Guangzhou and neighboring areas opted for a symmetrical composition and a sense of majesty and rhythm; in Chaoshan region, craftsmen carved multiple layers out of wood to add intricacy in arrangement and the works normally tell stories of a long duration; and the Hakka people favored simple, bold and clear-cut lines to deliver a down-to-earth feeling. The exhibition runs through to Oct 8.

10 am-6 pm, closed on Mondays. 6 Tongxin Lu, Futian district, Shenzhen, Guangdong province.0755-8813-2247.