Heir of Nuo Opera masks

Fang Wenzhan, a craftsman from Huanjiang Maonan autonomous county in Hechi, the fourth generation inheritor of Nuo masks, shows masks he has made. [Photo by Lu Bo'an/Xinhua]

Nuo Opera, a Maonan folk art tradition and sacrificial ritual, has been performed for over 300 years, and it was added to the intangible cultural heritage list of China in 2006. Nuo masks, a kind of wooden masks used in Nuo dance, can be divided into 72 faces with different expressions.

Fang teaches his son Nuo mask carving skills. [Photo by Lu Bo'an/Xinhua]

Nuo masks are entirely hand-made with fine workmanship. [Photo by Lu Bo'an/Xinhua]