What are the artistic features of Qufu Kai woodcarving in Shandong Province?

? A: Kai woodcarving is a unique handicraft in Qufu, Shandong Province. Mu Kai, also known as Pistacia chinensis, was born in Qufu, Kong Lin. Mu Kai is a deciduous tree, belonging to the Rhus family, with scaly bark and a tall and stout tree shape, which can be as high as 20 meters. After frosting, the leaves turn red, and it is called Kevin as an ornamental tree. Interestingly, the trees are dioecious, the female trees are soft light yellow and the male trees are hard dark red. Mukai tree has fine texture and is an excellent material for architecture and sculpture. The woodcarving in Qufu has a long history. According to legend, after the death of Confucius, his disciple Zi Gong moved saplings from Weiguo, planted them next to the tomb of Confucius, and carved them into two circular statues of Confucius and his wife Fang Guanshi. Although this legend is not well recorded, it is well documented that these two woodcarvings were moved to Zhejiang by Kong Duanyou, the duke of Confucius' forty-eighth grandson, in the third year of Song Jianyan (1 128). In 1950s, these two woodcarvings were moved back to Qufu. In addition, the cantilever cornices of buildings in Confucius House, Confucius Temple and Confucius Forest, such as Dacheng Hall, Xingtan, Kuiwen Pavilion and Thirteen Monuments Pavilion, are also decorated with Kaimu carvings. The traditional products of Qufu Kai woodcarving are crutches and wishful thinking. Kaimu is tough and tough, and its branches are folded into sticks, naturally bending into the shape of dragons and snakes, which is simple and lovely. Mu Kai ruyi, with golden color, exquisite carving and smooth texture, has always been a tribute from Confucius to the emperor. In the seventeenth year of Guangxu (189 1), the governor of Shandong Province gave Empress Dowager Cixi a wooden cane and two woodcarvings in Qufu. There are hundreds of dragon balls carved on the cane, and the clouds set each other off, which is extremely cute. Ruyi is engraved with birthday pictures of the Eight Immortals and immortals, which are called stunts by the Western Empress Dowager. At the end of Qing Dynasty, there was a famous artist Yan, who could carve five layers of wood carvings. The woodcarving in Qufu won the first prize of Shandong Articles Exhibition and the second prize of Shandong Natural History Exhibition in the early Republic of China. After the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), Kong Xianbin, a descendant of Confucius, engaged in wood carving. In addition to making walking sticks, modern Qufu Kai woodcarving has gradually added Confucius statues, Buddha statues, ladies, pen holders, animals, screens, paperweights, chess pieces and other varieties.