Baigou Township, located at the transportation juncture of Beijing, Tianjin and Baoding, is home to a folk art-Baigou clay figurine.

Baigou clay figurine, literally clay doll, originated from over 300 years ago when Liubeizhuang Village in the Qianlong’s reign of the Qing Dynasty lived on making clay dolls and developed it into a local characteristic industry. In the late Qing Dynasty, Baigou developed gradually into the home to clay figurines in the North China where nearly all villagers relied on the industry of clay making and market of clay figurine was formed in Guzhen Street.

Techniques of making clay figurines are demanding. To make a quality clay doll, sticky and delicate clay is selected and kneaded continuously and then added with cotton, paper and honey. When the clay doll is modeled, it is engraved and colored mostly with white pigment. Then the outline of the doll is drawn with ink.

A wide range of subjects are covered including characters from the opera, such as Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, Dong Yong, Su San, Bai Niangzi, and from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Most clay figurines are made on the base of Hebei Clapper Opera with smooth figures and bright colors.

Now the production of Baigou clay figurines is limited due to the lack of craftsmen. The clay dolls are made in small scale with many types disappearing.

Translator: ZHANG Ruochen