Visit the Jixi Three Carvings Museum - admire the Huizhou architecture with its intricate carvings.

The Huizhou Three Carvings refer to the three carving techniques of stone, wood, and brick, all of which are in the Huizhou style. Huizhou architecture is known for its intricate carvings, and the Three Carvings can be seen in all buildings. In 2014, the Huizhou Three Carvings were included in the list of Anhui Province's intangible cultural heritage. The Jixi Three Carvings Museum is located in the Zhou Ancestral Hall, a key cultural relic protection unit in Anhui Province, in Jixi County. The Three Carvings Museum consists of six parts: the screen wall, gate tower, corridor, courtyard, main hall, and rear hall. The rear hall was demolished during the Cultural Revolution, but the other parts have been restored to their original state, with a total building area of 1,156 square meters. In addition to the many precious brick, wood, and stone carvings and cultural relics on the Zhou Ancestral Hall itself, the museum has also collected a large number of brick, wood, and stone carvings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, enriching the museum's collection. The stone carvings are particularly numerous and exquisite, depicting flowers, birds, insects, fights, and love stories, all in vivid detail. The museum is known as the "Palace of Stone Carving Art" and is a true Three Carvings Museum. Images 1-8: Three carvings on the museum (Zhou Ancestral Hall) building; Images 9-14: Some wood carvings in the Three Carvings Museum; The history of human use of wood can be traced back to ancient times, when Shennong "built nests with wood," marking the beginning of wood use. The rulers of feudal dynasties further expanded the use of wood. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, Huizhou folk craftsmen were particularly skilled in wood carving. Huizhou wood carvings are characterized by smooth lines, clear depictions, and elegant compositions. The carvings often have historical or symbolic meanings, representing family prosperity and well-being. The carving techniques have become a model of Huizhou carving. Images 15-19: Some brick carvings in the Three Carvings Museum; Bricks are building materials made from clay. The earliest bricks in China were made during the Warring States period. Before that, adobe was used as a building material. From the Eastern Han dynasty, bricks were widely used, and they were often decorated with patterns or images. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, many Huizhou folk artists carved various patterns on bricks, such as pavilions, figures, operas, flowers, and birds, making brick carving one of the iconic Huizhou crafts. Image 20: Exterior of the Jixi Three Carvings Museum (Zhou Ancestral Hall, a cultural relic protection unit in Anhui Province). Address of the Jixi Three Carvings Museum: No. 39, Caojiajing, Huayang Town, Jixi County, Anhui Province (opposite the county hospital)