Special kids experience traditional arts

Writer: Windy Shao  |  Editor: Holly Wang  |  From: Shenzhen Daily 


Special children from Shenzhen Social Welfare Center and Shenzhen Yuanping Special Education School learn how to make dumplings at a restaurant at Mission Hills Shenzhen in Longhua District yesterday. Sun Yuchen

A total of 30 special children from Shenzhen Social Welfare Center and Shenzhen Yuanping Special Education School experienced traditional arts and crafts at Mission Hills Shenzhen in Longhua District yesterday.

The event was to mark Special Children’s Day, which is part of a creative culture festival organized by Mission Hills Group.

The children had a fun day playing games at Mission Hills Terra Art Ecological Park, learning dough modeling at MH Maker and even learned how to make colorful dumplings at a restaurant there.

Dough modeling is one of the intangible culture heritage items at MH Maker.

“Intangible culture heritage should not be only displayed at museums, we want to make it a culture code familiar to the public,” said Wang Ning, a manager of MH Maker.

“The special children can also feel the beauty of intangible culture heritage crafts.”

Recorded as early as the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-220 A.D.), dough craftsmen first began to make vivid artistic figurines by rubbing and twisting dough and then carving them with a bamboo knife.

Although they are physically or mentally challenged, the children were excited to see the colorful artistic figurines and were eager to learn. They made rainbows, dinosaurs and flowers under the guidance of the craftsmen there.

“I want to give this flower to my teacher as a gift,” said one child, holding his artwork high.

They also learned how to make dumplings at a restaurant there, shaping the dough and then putting in the fillings. They burst into laughter after seeing the different sized and colored dumplings.

The organizers of the event said they would hold more charity activities to start a creative culture month there.

Since its establishment more than 20 years ago, Mission Hills Group has initiated, supported and taken part in more than 200 charity activities in the fields of sports, culture and education, donating more than 500 million yuan (US$71 million), the organizers said.