Sounds easy, but the work went on for three whole years.

"To make a statue look similar to a person's photo is easy, but the most difficult part is to make it like the person, lively with a vivid personality," Han said.

"If you analyze a person's face, you can easily make a sculpture that looks like him. But if you want to bring him alive, it takes far more effort."

The first and most time-intensive work Han did was get to know the general from his family and close friends.

"It was very impressive that a former secretary of Yu Qiuli came to my studio. The old man saluted before he entered, then he took out a small notebook, in which he wrote an outline of every story he knew about the general, what he was like, how he talked, what he wore, how brave he was on the battlefield and how he lost one arm," Han said.

"I could feel the personality of Yu."

Han decided to make the statue as Yu looked in his 60s.

"If I carved a young Yu Qiuli, it could not represent his experience. If I carved him in his 80s, it couldn't show his stern side," Han said.

However, Yu's family was split between those who wanted a statue with a big smile, and others wanting it to look really solemn.

"At last they decided to carve a non-smiling general for the cemetery, and a smiling father for the family," Han said.

Dong Libo, deputy director of the cemetery, told China Daily that personalized tombstones are becoming increasingly popular.

"We encourage personality for each tomb, because that can make the cemetery look more like a garden, just like those cemeteries in Western countries," Dong said. "We hope that when people think about the cemetery, it is not a spooky place, but a beautiful, artistic place."

Art usually comes with a price. Han usually charges 200,000 to 300,000 yuan ($31,700 to 47,600) for a head sculpture, 500,000 to 600,000 yuan for a bust, and 1 million yuan minimum for a whole-body sculpture. And it costs more if the design of the whole graveyard is taken into account.

However, despite the high price, demand is increasing.

Since 2004, Han has made four sculptures for the cemetery. Three were placed in the cemetery, while one remained in Han's studio. He had to turn down a few others because of his limited time.

"Compared to city sculptures, most of which are shoddy, I prefer making fine art," Han said. "I find a booming market for art here in Babaoshan. Most of the family members of the martyrs have higher education and a higher taste."

For him, this job also gives him a chance for self-improvement.

"Artists are sometimes too proud to listen to the advice of others. But here I have to listen to the advice of family and friends, because they know the person far better than me," Han said.