Pictures made with straw spotlighted in Qingdao

Poli town in Qingdao West Coast New Area in Shandong province has built a reputation for wheat straw paintings, a traditional Chinese folk art with a history of over 1,500 years.

The art takes advantage of the straw's natural gloss and veins to depict landscapes, flowers, animals and human figures. The techniques are borrowed from many other artistic forms, including conventional painting, engraving, paper-cutting and calligraphy.