Traditional art, modern incentives

At Longwanhu Art Town, which neighbors Nishan town, the Luban lock has become a popular study project, attracting many students to try disassembling and assembling the ancient Chinese puzzle.

The lock is produced through an intricate technique where countless small wooden pieces are crafted to interlock without the use of nails.

It is named after its alleged inventor Lu Ban (507-444 BC), a famous scientist and artisan who is credited in ancient texts with dreaming up a variety of wondrous mechanisms, from mills and grappling hooks to flying bamboo magpies.

"The Luban lock is an educational toy which not only trains the brain but also lets children experience ancient wisdom," says Jiang Leping, a woodwork teacher working at Longwanhu's Luban lock project.

"Many children show great interest in the lock. They will keep working on it until they figure out the way to disassemble and assemble it," Jiang adds.

The Shandong government has been carrying out measures to further encourage the development of the province's intangible cultural heritage.

The measures cover 10 sectors, and focus on a variety of aspects, such as handicraft standards, design, development, brand building, marketing and policy support.

The province has organized exhibitions and promotions to provide increased exposure for its handicrafts industry.

In addition, selected handicrafts are on show at scenic areas and tourism-focused communities and rural areas, according to the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

Designers and artists have combined modern innovation with traditional handicrafts to create new products.