Create sweet memories with sugar painting -Chinaculture.org

Materials to make sugar paintings. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Have you ever tasted or perhaps heard of sugar painting?

As less people choose to make this kind of painting, the traditional Chinese folk craft might have become a distant memory in some ways.

However, a 38-year old craftsman, Li Jianzhong, is committed to keeping the art of sweet painting alive.

From Mugou village in Gaoping city in Shanxi province, Li worked as a miner for more than ten years. After the mine closed down, Li turned to interior decorating, until he was forced to give that up due to a finger injury.

Li Jianzhong creates a dragon-shaped sugar painting. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Earlier this year, he discovered sugar painting, something he really had an interest in and a strong desire to learn.

Since there was no sugar painting craftsman in his village, he studied by himself through videos and information on the internet. He soon mastered the skill and can make various kinds of sugar arts.

A child tastes a sugar butterfly made by Li Jianzhong. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Sugar painting is ususally made with melted brown or white sugar. Craftsman often paint animals and flowers on a stone board with the syrup. When the sugar cools down, a piece of sugar art is finished.

"The most important thing is brewing sugar. If the temperature is too high, the sugar color will darken and won't be that transparent and beautiful," Li said.

Li said he loved painting when he was young, and he found it easy to learn the artistry of sugar painting.

A sugar painting made by Li Jianzhong. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Li shows his sugar painting skills. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A sugar painting made by Li Jianzhong. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]