One of the oldest crafts in the world is wood carving. During prehistoric times, people used to carve wood to make decorative handles for various tools and weapons.
But nowadays, wood carving has evolved to become more of an art form. A form of creative expression that requires skill and has the effect of building an artists’ confidence, strength of character and problem solving capabilities. Wood carvings and sculptures were once used to celebrate a nation’s culture.
Inspired by this idea, these Chinese sculptors decided to carve a giant lion from a single tree trunk. Lead by Dengding Rui Yao, this wooden lion was born from the collaborative effort of twenty talented people over the span of three years. Needless to say, their mammoth sized work of art grabbed the world’s largest redwood sculpture in the Guinness World Records. Standing over 16.5 feet high, 13 feet wide and 47.5 feet long, this sculpture entitled “Oriental Lion” has become a favorite monument for those in the city of Wuhan.