Gourd can not only be used for food and medicine, but also be used as a container for water, noodles, medicine and wine after drying and ripening. It is a very common daily necessities. It can also be made into farm tools, boats, musical instruments and even firearms, which play an important role in production, transportation, entertainment and even war. In order to be beautiful, various patterns are carved on the outside of the gourd, which is the original function of the gourd carving art, and later it gradually evolved into a folk handicraft.
Time flies. 2 1 century, although we can't verify the exact origin of the carved gourd planted in Dongchang, there are still many touching legends circulating among the people. According to legend, Wang Heshang, an ancient court artist who was good at painting and carving, returned to Yan Temple in Dongchangfu District, Liaocheng City. At that time, Yan Temple was rich in gourds, and Wang Heshang carved exquisite patterns on the gourds to raise his favorite fruits. Later, local people followed suit, and gourd carving spread.
According to local documents, Dongchang gourd carving was very popular in the Song Dynasty. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Dongchangfu was adjacent to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and was the political, economic and cultural hub of western Shandong. Businessmen gathered and were prosperous for a while. At that time, carved gourd was once an important commodity produced by farmers on both sides of the canal, and it was exported to all parts of the country with the canal.
In the new century, the origin of Dongchang carved gourd is mainly centered on Tangyi Town, Dongchangfu District, and radiates to the surrounding township offices of Yanmiao, Liulin, Sang 'a Town and Xinji Township in Liangshui Town, basically within the scope of the original Tangyi County. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the Republic of China, there were many famous local artists, such as Li Wenpu, Zheng Shijun, Little Bi Heng and Topaz Valley, who were called "teachers" by local industry artists. We can't research their skills and works, and we can only trace back and taste them from the dictation and skills handed down from generation to generation by artists.