Coal art grabs attention amid Yulin intl coal expo

Coal chemical art pieces attracted many Chinese and foreign businessmen during the Yulin International Coal and High-end Energy Chemical Industry Expo held from Oct 13 to 15, in Yulin, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, with the theme of "Smart Energy Gathering in Yulin and Low Carbon Development Guiding the Future". 

Coal chemical art pieces are exhibited during the Yulin International Coal and High-end Energy Chemical Industry Expo from Oct 13 to 15. [Photo/china.com]

"The coal chemical artworks are very special. This is my first time to see such products made of coal. I think they are probably popular overseas," said a representative of the China division of Chateau Loghiny from the Republic of Moldova. 

Visitors look at coal chemical art during the expo. [Photo/china.com]

During the event, visitors could see raw coal, refined coal and new activated carbon being carved, polished, and processed into artworks of various shapes. The thick color of the coal and the exquisite craftsmanship used to make the works made them look simple, yet solemn.

All of the artworks on display were selected from entries of the second Yulin Cultural Creative Design Competition. Apart from pure art works, there are also many products with both artistic beauty and practical functions in life, such as statues, vases and bracelets.

Liu Ruiping, an official from the Yulin media center, said efforts will be made to boost the industrialization of coal chemical art, adding that new activated carbon developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences is expected to empower this kind of art to spread across the country and the world.

In fact, coal chemical art has been developing for a time. With the country's carbon neutrality policy in place, this kind of art emerged in response to diversified, high-end, industrial and low-carbon needs for coal's development.