Making dough figures creates a ten-thousand-yuan household on Xi’an streets

On the streets of Xi’an, Li Fuping, a young man born post-85s, attracted a crowd of onlookers. Many dough figures that he made were praised for being lifelike and beautiful. The figure Sun Wukong (the Monkey King), which was made within 20 minutes, became the favorite of both children and adults.

A pair of scissors is the only tool that Li Fuping uses to make dough figurines, and the shapes are subject to the feeling in his hand. Li Fuping evaluated the dough figurine-making as the art on the fingertips. A dough figurine like Sun Wukong is sold with RMB 30 yuan. He also shared his experience in Shenzhen when a man bought his Sun Wukong with RMB 200 yuan and left without taking his change.

Born in Longxi County, Gansu Province, Li’s grandfather and father were the local dough figurine craftsmen. His mother is also skilled in handcraft, embroidering, and dough figurine-making. Under the influence of the family, Li Fuping could make dough figurines such as a puppy and a kitten when he was four or five years old. Three years ago, his father died of an illness. At that time, Li Fuping cried while making dough figurines. However, he does it without any regrets because he has passed down the ancestral craftsmanship.

His cartoon dough figurines are very realistic and have become popular among children. In 2002, at the age of 17, he left his hometown to make a living as a dough figurine craftsman. He worked in restaurants, making eatable dough figurines, as well as fruit and vegetable carvings. However, Li prefers to be a wandering artist and walk around with his skills rather than do an uncreative job in restaurants.

Since from the age of 17 to 33, Li has been to every corner of the country. However, he has not found his soul mate yet. He hopes to meet a girl who likes handcraft and supports his work.