Cheng Yingui works on a mahogany carving. [Photo/dzwww.com]

Cheng Yingui is a mahogany carving craftsman who lives in Feicheng, a county-level city in Tai'an, Shandong province.

Cheng, born in Jiangsu province, left his hometown for Feicheng due to his love for mahogany carving. In Jiangsu province, few peach trees are planted, meaning that raw materials for mahogany carving had to be purchased from Shandong.

Cheng discovered that Feicheng had a long history of planting peach trees, and the quality of the trees was excellent. Furthermore, the city had a convenient transportation network, being located at the foot of Mount Tai, which is why he decided to make the move there.

Mahogany carving was listed as a provincial intangible cultural heritage in Shandong in 2006.

Due to Cheng‘s influence, more than 150 mahogany carving companies have now opened in the city, creating 40,000 jobs and generating an annual output value of more than 800 million yuan ($121.69 million).

Feicheng has become the largest and most innovative distribution center involved in the production and sale of peach wood handicrafts.