By Zhao Yu
The recent success of Ne Zha 2 has sparked a wave of creativity among Ningbo's artisans, who have brought the film's beloved characters to life through traditional crafts such as paper cutting, paper carving, and clay sculpting.
He Peihong, a member of the China Society for the Study of Folk Literature and Art, has been meticulously crafting paper-cut designs of Ne Zha, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li, and other characters from the movie in recent days. Working from her home in Zhaohui Community, Minglou Subdistrict, Yinzhou, she employs traditional techniques to bring the characters to life with striking detail, complete with classic flame patterns, lotus motifs, sawtooth designs, and decorative crescents. For He, Ne Zha's defiant spirit embodies a core value of traditional Chinese culture.
In Ningguang Community, Zhonggongmiao Subdistrict, local blogger Lu Xiaoyan has sculpted lifelike Ne Zha figurines from clay. With millions of online followers, Lu is known for her highly detailed creations. "Although the color options with clay are limited, after many trials, I've matched them almost exactly to the movie," she said. Beyond sharing her creative process online, Lu also hosts hands-on demonstrations for children in her community, introducing them to the art of clay sculpting.
For paper-carving artist Chen Hong, Ne Zha 2 left a lasting impression. A resident of Zhonghe Subdistrict, Yinzhou, he has dedicated himself to capturing the film's characters through intricate paper carvings. When our correspondent visited his workspace, Chen sat at a table under the glow of a desk lamp, carefully carving Ne Zha—both child and adult versions—along with the film's antagonist, Shen Gongbao, into delicate sheets of paper.
Chen has been perfecting his craft since the early 1990s, constantly pushing the limits of precision. "I want to make the lines as fine as possible," he said. Hoping to introduce more people to the art of paper carving, he plans to create a short video showcasing his work and celebrating Chinese animation.