There are a lot of folk rhymes about clay figurines. A very popular one is "The baby is crying and looking for his Mom. His Mom buys a clay doll for him that makes him laugh". We can see how popular clay toys were then. However, with the emergence of amazing modern toys, clay figurines have lost much of their original role as toys. Now they mainly function as collectible items and decorations. At present, the clay figurines are retained as a folk art and exhibited frequently at international fairs. They have long enjoyed a good reputation internationally and are sold to dozens of foreign countries and regions.

Folk Artist: Gao Xiwei

Gao Xiwei, the 20th generation of Niejiazhuang Village clay sculpture in Gaomi County, has been working on clay sculpture for 50 years. He has made a lot of bold creations based on traditional techniques. His works, which are very popular, are beautifully designed and brightly colored. He has won the title of "Chinese Folk Outstanding Cultural Inheritor" and the title of "Shandong Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor". Today, there are 450 households in Niejiazhuang, but only 40 to 50 of them work on clay sculptures. Artists are mostly above 60 years old.