Chongqing - In a quiet workshop in Longxing Ancient Town in Liangjiang New Area, malt sugar perfumes the air. Sixth-generation sugar painting artist Li Mei dips her ladle into a pot of molten sugar and delicately pours it on a marble slab. With swift movements, she draws a Labubu-shaped sugar painting in minutes.

Li Mei draws a Labubu-shaped sugar painting in minutes. (Photo/Guo Shuyu)

Sugar painting is a folk art that often has auspicious meanings. The sweet craftsmanship has been passed down in Li’s family for over a century. Her ancestor made a living crafting sugar figures. Her grandfather turned it into festive joy, drawing wide-eyed children during the Spring Festival. For Li, who grew up in a disadvantaged family, it is the sweetest memory of her hardscrabble childhood.

After trying various odd jobs, Li returned to the family legacy at the age of 17. With a small stone slab and stand built by her father, she set up her first stall, where the sweet aroma and playful designs drew crowds of children. “Everyone looked happy when they came to my stall, and I loved sharing that sweetness,” Li recalls.

During this time, she met her husband, Li Zhenjiang, a calligraphy and portrait artist. Inspired by him, Li began incorporating Chinese characters into her sugar art, using molten sugar to write flowing calligraphy and even hollowed script, a feat requiring precise control and steady hands.

Perfect sugar art demands patience and skill. “The sugar must be transparent, not sticky or runny. With properly heated sugar, the painting withstands sunlight without melting,” she says.

Innovating beyond tradition, Li developed 3D sculptures and introduced vegetable-based colors. For her, sugar painting transcends technique. When agronomist Yuan Longping passed away, she paid tribute with a rice-production series, proving sugar could narrate stories.

Li Mei displays some of her artworks in her workshop. (Photo/Zhang Yangyang)

Today, her 17-year-old daughter continues the legacy. Using Li’s childhood tools, she hosted a Spring Festival stall and now leads an intangible heritage project at her vocational school, introducing peers to traditional arts.

Though sugar painting has faded from mainstream popularity, Li is not worried. She actively takes part in cultural and commercial events and has taken on more than ten apprentices from across the country, some for years.

Her requirements of apprentices are crystal clear: patience and sincerity. “You can’t be in it for the money. Sugar painting requires focus, and it takes time to refine.” She says, believing that this craft will endure as long as genuine passion remains.