When artist Duan Sixing reaches for his tools, an ordinary piece of wood is transformed into an artistic piece of furniture, sculpture or wall ornament. Three-dimensional forms emerge from an inconspicuous surface, a process that often takes months. Duan’s studio is located in southwestern Yunnan – in Jianchuan County, in the autonomous prefecture of Dali. The region has a long history of wood carving, dating back to the Tang and Song dynasties (618-907 and 960-1279). Now a museum for the art form is being built there.