A rare and very large exhibition of Buddhist art - Dunhuang reproductions and Tibetan thangka - is underway, and Qu Zhi takes a tour at the folk arts museum.

The thousand-hand, thousand-eye bodhisattva of compassion sits upon a lotus throne. She has an intricate web of forearms and hands, each palm bearing an eye to see the world's suffering, each hand holding an attribute or displaying a mudra, or gesture.

The figure is so detailed and graceful that her skin appears plump, strands of hair are visible and her garment falls naturally.

The bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, known as Guanyin in China, is a masterpiece of the esoteric school of Buddhist art - and it is a reproduction on paper of the majestic figure from a fresco in Cave No. 3 of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Gansu Province.

The work measures 2 meters by 2.3 meters.

It is part of an exhibition of Buddhist art of Dunhuang and Tibetan tangka, or religious paintings on silk with embroidery, underway at the Shanghai National Folk Arts Exposition in the Pudong New Area.

It runs through tomorrow, though the museum itself is open year round, containing 30 workshops of folk arts ranging from fresco reproduction to embroidery with human hair.

The original bodhisattva fresco dates from the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). To produce the desired effect, enhancing contemplation, artists had to create precisely in accordance with descriptions in relevant sutras.

Since frescoes and sculptures from caves cannot be moved, they have been reproduced in paintings over the years and many of the paintings themselves are masterworks, far more than "copies." Today there is photography, of course, but it is no substitute for the human hand and eye.

This reproduction was painted by Ma Qiang of the Dunhuang Academy of China who carried out extensive research and sketching in Cave No. 3 and studied Buddhist art and the sutras describing it.

The folk art museum features a wide range of folk arts, such as delicate embroidery with human hair, "paintings" with straw, carvings in wood, stone and gemstones, clay figure modeling, intricate paper-cut art, textiles and other works. Even waste paper, wood chips and shavings, fish bones, abandoned objects and everyday items are turned into interesting and sometimes beautiful work by craftsmen.

The museum - and demonstration area - showcases remarkable ethnic crafts as well as a cabinet of curiosities.

Visitors can sit down, have a cup of tea and chat with craftsmen as a Chinese lute is played in the background. Items can be purchased as well.

"Our aim is to get everyone involved. We want to demonstrate the culture behind some Chinese art pieces. In a way, this (museum) is a village in the city, which has a rich cultural atmosphere," says Chen Biao, director of the museum. "Both master craftsmen and the general public can enjoy this place. It is where Chinese folk art can be passed on, promoted and go out to the world."

The Buddhist art exhibition and reproduced frescoes are on the second floor in the Dunhuang Culture and Exchange Center, comprised of 13 artists. They are dedicated to studying Dunhuang frescoes in detail as well as related sutras.

Their aim is to promote Dunhuang culture to those who have never visited the arid desert caves. They give lectures at academies and welcome everyone to the workshop. Each artist visits Dunhuang every two or three months a year.

The grottoes reflect a range of art and culture transmitted by traders, monks and Buddhist pilgrims moving east along the Silk Road, including early influences from the Mediterranean, West Asia and Central Asia. Later Chinese influences are clear as people moved west along the route.

Dunhuang dates back more than 1,700 years and at its peak in the Tang Dynasty, the Mogao Grottoes contained more than a thousand caves. Today, 492 grottoes remain, containing 4,500 square meters of frescoes.

"The grotto art showed the prosperity of different dynasties, not only Buddhist art, but also scenes of daily life, what people wore, how they danced, their music, calligraphy, medical records and more," says Long Yingchun, a member of the Dunhuang Culture and Exchange Center. "It is an encyclopedia."

The artists' painting reproductions sometimes provide more details than those in the faded originals, especially in their sketches. Most are on paper, others are on fresco surfaces.

One of the greatest grotto artists was Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), who devoted his life to the study and reproduction of the artwork, and his own output was prodigious.

"It takes your whole life to dig into the art of Dunhuang, and the more you find, the more curious you will get. And this makes us return to the Mogao Grottoes again and again, and share the civilization with others," says Long.

Human hair embroidery

Embroidery using human hair is one of the more intriguing embroidery arts typical of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province. Like silk embroidery, many works are exquisite, elaborate and multicolored, using many different stitches.

It dates back to the Tang Dynasty when girls cut their long hair and wove it into images of Buddha to show their piety. Since then the art developed, lapsed and was revived.

Zhou Yinghua, 56, is a master of su xiu (Suzhou embroidery) and was born into a family of embroiderers. Her works are on display at the folk art museum.

She uses long, undyed hair from women 20 to 30 years of age. The hair is then processed to eliminate the protein inside and then dyed different colors. Sometimes hair is collected from ethnic minority people who have different hair colors. Sometimes white hair is dyed red when deep scarlet is required.

Zhou operates the only human hair embroidery workshop in Suzhou. There are only a few in China. "Hair embroidery requires much higher standards of drawing skills," Zhou says.

The texture of human hair is different from that of silk and silk works are more sumptuous since hundreds of shades can be used. Works made with human hair are also intricate but somewhat simpler.

Wood shaving crafts

For Sun Yongjun, the essence of folk art is to use the most ordinary and affordable materials and turn them into remarkable objects. He uses wheat straw, metal cans, wood chips and shavings and produces detailed pictures of dragons, phoenix, eagles, goldfish, bodhisattvas and other subjects.

Viewers are unable to tell what the works are made of. The bodhisattvas are graceful and detailed, made with wheat straw. The goldfish are vivid and have tiny, sparkling scales made of metal from cans.

"Scissors is my pencil to draw and every piece is formed once," says Sun who has been working in crafts since the 1980s. "I don't feel bored or exhausted. I love what I do." He emphasizes the use of common, natural and often discarded materials and says ivory and jade are too expensive.

During the summer holiday, many students visit Sun's workshop to learn crafts and start by making basic cartoon characters.

"I am glad they can 'inherit' and enjoy the craft," Zhou says.

Bamboo weaving

People familiar with woven bamboo mats and baskets are surprised to see bamboo pictures using threads fine as a strand of hair and thin as a cicada's wing.

The subjects include landscapes, calligraphy, a portrait of Confucius, or water buffalo, rendered in meticulous detail.

At Chen Li's Cloud Bamboo Studio, around 100 kilograms of bamboo (only bambusa emeiensis) are needed to produce a mere 100 grams of usable bamboo thread.

Chen was born into a family of bamboo-weaving masters in Qingshen County, Sichuan Province, where quality bamboo is abundant. She learned the bamboo-weaving craft from her father and grandfather.

At first she made tea ware decorations with bamboo threads and then she started to innovate, creating elaborate works in vibrant colors.

Demonstrating her work at the folk arts museum, she says, "I relish the chance to share my passion with others."

Shanghai National Folk Arts Exposition

Opening hour: 9am-4pm

Address: 216 Chengshan Rd, Pudong

Admission: Free