Huangpi Clay Sculpture is a geographical indication certification trademark.
Huangpi clay sculptures are very well-known. The Five Hundred Arhats in Guiyuan Temple in Hanyang and the statue of Mulan Mountain are its traditional masterpieces. The Five Hundred Arhats in Guiyuan Temple were built by Wang and his son in Huangpi County, Hubei Province in nine years. Huangpi is still the hometown of sculpture in Hubei, with a long history and tradition of clay sculpture, sophisticated skills and numerous artists. According to the "Guiyuan Jungle Arhat Stele", the Five Hundred Arhats in Guiyuan Temple were created based on the stone rubbings of the Five Hundred Arhats in the Zhusheng Temple on Hengshan Mountain in Nanyue. The craftsmanship adopts "bodiless lacquer sculpture", also known as "golden body and sand sculpture". First, the model is made from a clay body, and then the mold is covered with Gebu raw lacquer layer by layer, which is called a lacquered cloth empty mold. Finally, it is decorated with gold powder. Its characteristics are moisture resistance, insect resistance and durability. Over the past two hundred years, the Luohan Hall was hit by floods several times, and the Arhats floated all over the hall. However, the Arhats remained intact after the water receded, which shows the superb craftsmanship of the sculptures.
The "Seven-grade Sesame Official", "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea", "The Golden Boy" and "Miss Lina" produced by Huangpi District Clay Sculpture Factory are vivid, interesting and cute. Their products are not only popular in China, but also exported to the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Singapore and other countries. Paotongdian Town in Huangpi District is a famous hometown of clay sculptures. The clay sculptures of farmers are outstanding. They are small and diverse, and the shapes are full of earthy flavor. They include serious and dignified figures as well as funny and humorous transformed sculptures, from General Mulan to the Lady in the Red Mansion. From Chinese mythical characters to famous Western art masters such as Chaplin, they have all been created lifelike. The old artist Dai Heqing once made statues for visiting foreign guests on the spot, which became a favorite story abroad. Paulownia's clay sculptures were exhibited in Ohio, USA, and were well received.