Dongyang woodcarving works go on show at an exhibition. [Photo/Tide News]

Amid heated competitions during the Zhejiang Provincial City Basketball League, master craftsman Huang Xiaoming is working on carving the championship trophy for its Jinhua Division.

The trophy is made of rosewood and employs traditional Dongyang woodcarving techniques.

Dongyang woodcarving, rooted in Dongyang county-level city in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, is renowned for its intricate, multi-layered craftsmanship developed over centuries. The techniques were inscribed on China's national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.

Today, Dongyang woodcarving has been revitalized in modern design spheres.

The craft gained global attention during the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games, when the victory ceremony bouquet featured woodcarvings designed by Huang. "I hope athletes take home not just medals but also memories embedded with our culture," he said.

Having appeared at many major state events, Dongyang woodcarving now serves as China's artistic calling card globally.

To promote its preservation and development, artists blend the traditional craft with contemporary aesthetics, exemplified by innovative works emerging in the Dongyang Woodcarving Town.

Wu Tengfei, a master of woodcarving art, integrates the minimalist elegance of wooden furniture with modern coffee bars and pianos at the Shangxi City Parlor in the town, while the Linjiang Wooden Art Studio based in the town shared carvings of Chinese anime character Ne Zha on Douyin, attracting many young audiences.

Innovation thrives on talent cultivation. At the Zhejiang Guangsha Vocational and Technical University of Construction, hundreds of trendy woodcarving works featuring mermaids and anime characters show the imagination and creativity of students.

According to Wang Xiaoping, dean of the School of Arts and Crafts, students can receive guidance from 22 provincial-level masters.

The university's new campus near the Dongyang Woodcarving Town has been established to cultivate professional talent for the development of the craft.