Weng Guosheng and his wife Qi Guoxiang, who live in the Liupan Mountains region in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, create artworks out of wheat straw. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

YINCHUAN－After wheat is harvested, farmers normally use the discarded straw for feeding their cattle or composting. But, contrary to the usual practice, a couple living in the Liupan Mountains region in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region are creating artworks out of this agricultural by-product.

Weng Guosheng, 52, lives in Changcheng village of Pengyang county. The village is renowned for its Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) Great Wall and beautiful terraced fields, and is on the national list of traditional villages that need protection.

The terraced fields are also an important theme of Weng's wheat straw patchwork.

Weng follows a series of steps to create his art. He first dyes selected straws in different colors. He then cuts them into various lengths in certain patterns and sticks them onto a piece of canvas. Last but not least, he carefully irons the patchwork to make it vivid with clear layers.

"The ironed 'painting' feels like silk and looks gorgeous with a bright metallic luster, but few would believe these artworks are made of ordinary wheat straws until they see them up close with their own eyes," Weng says, adding that, initially, it was even hard for him to believe.

Pengyang was once an impoverished county due to frequent droughts and a fragile ecology. Wheat, due to its durability in the cold and drought tolerance, was a staple food for locals. Like the older generations, Weng had to live on the wheatfield to earn his dinners. After getting married, he migrated to a city to find work.

In 2015, Weng chanced upon a wheat straw painting on the internet. It instantly evoked childhood memories of his grandmother and mother teaching him paper-cutting and to make patchwork pictures. That winter Weng used some of his savings to buy a computer and started learning how to make wheat straw patchworks by himself.

"When the construction site (where he worked) shut down during the winter, I enjoyed my time off creating art," Weng says.

Weng's wife Qi Guoxiang showed no interest in his new "hobby" at first until Weng completed his first piece－a peacock. "It was so lifelike that I was surprised. I began to learn the skill together with my husband," she says.

As the country's battle against poverty gained momentum, and Pengyang was lifted out of poverty, the couple decided to return home and start a career as wheat straw artists.

The couple's artworks are showcased. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Weng grows wheat and harvests it carefully with a scythe, while other villagers use machines. After drying and dyeing, they scrape the layer of bark off the straws with a blade.

Wheat straw artworks featuring historical figures, landscapes, animals and flowers are on display in the workshop that the couple built in their yard. Weng and his wife are now affectionately called "the straw painting couple" by their neighbors. Their efforts, however, have heralded an artistic vibe to this remote mountain village.

Weng can "paint" anything with wheat straws, as long as he is careful during the ironing part of process. "Straw catches fire easily, so I have to be fully focused to avoid any fire-related damages," he says.

With the help of the local government, the couple have attended trade fairs to market their artworks. Many people mistook their works for embroidery at first sight, which made the couple proud, as they deem the misunderstanding a compliment to their work.

Weng's wheat straw patchworks have become increasingly popular and are selling well, generating a total income of over 30,000 yuan (US$4,640) last year. This July, he won a big order from a souvenir shop owner in Shapotou Scenic Area in Zhongwei, a desert tourist destination in Ningxia.

Liu Le'niu, the shop owner, placed an order for more than 1,000 patchworks featuring elements such as rivers, deserts, sunrises and sunsets, as well as camels.

"I was born in a remote village. When I was a child, wheat straws were used for cooking or feeding cattle and sheep," Liu says, adding that he had never imagined they could have artistic applications.

"I believe that the artworks, with their local flavor, will be popular among tourists," he says.

To create more patchworks, and also pass on the skill to the young generation, Weng has planned to recruit some apprentices. He was invited to teach straw painting in a local vocational school for an annual salary of 40,000 yuan.

"I was born a farmer, and I'd never thought that I could become a teacher someday. All thanks to the wheat straw," Weng says. "In fact, the straw also has many other uses, such as modeling and sculpture. I will continue to explore its artistic value."