🎥 A new documentary, "Sculpting the Soul of Tianjin", is putting China’s cultural craftsmanship in the spotlight—just as the city gears up to host the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. The film follows Zhang Yu, sixth-gen heir to the iconic Clay Figure Zhang dynasty, whose ancestors turned humble clay into storytelling masterpieces.
Where History Meets Modernity 🌆
Tianjin—a city of colonial-era architecture, buzzing markets, and futuristic skyscrapers—serves as the perfect backdrop. Zhang’s family legacy mirrors the city’s blend of tradition and innovation. While world leaders prepare to discuss trade and diplomacy at the SCO summit, the docu highlights Tianjin’s quieter superpower: its artistic soul.
Molding Tradition, Shaping Tomorrow 🖌️
Zhang Yu opens up about childhood days in the family museum, mesmerized by clay figures that "almost breathed." Now, he balances preserving centuries-old techniques with embracing change. "Tradition belongs in museums," he says, "but art? It needs to evolve." His mission? To keep Tianjin’s clay artistry alive without being trapped by the past.
As the SCO summit approaches, this docu reminds us: Cities aren’t just stages for politics—they’re living museums of human creativity. 🧱
