The 48th WorldSkills Competition is being held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) from September 22nd to 27th. The Guangdong pavilion features three main zones: the Competition Achievements Transformation Zone, the Overseas Chinese Reception and the Interactive Skills Zone. Here, achievements stemming from WorldSkills gold medals are showcased in one place, exceptional skills are brought within reach, and the customs and traditional crafts of overseas Chinese hometowns are presented to the world.

Visitors have gathered around the series of dough figurines "Dear You: Longing for the Mountains and Sea", created by Huang Guangyan, a teacher at Shantou Technician College. Cultural symbols of Chaoshan's overseas Chinese hometowns, including qiaopi and "grandma," are gradually "handcrafted" into the dough figurines.

"I never knew dough figurines could be used not only to make flowers, birds, fish and insects, but also to turn qiaopi and homesickness into a love letter," one visitor said. "Watching the teacher make them by hand, I suddenly realized that intangible cultural heritage is not an exhibit behind glass, but a craft with warmth and stories."

Chao-style dough figurines are a precious traditional intangible cultural heritage craft in the Chaoshan region. Made mainly from glutinous rice and flour with natural pigments added, these figurines are crafted using dozens of handcrafting techniques to create figures and local scenes within a small space.

Rooted in Chaoshan folk customs, the craft was once mainly used in traditional folk activities. Today, through continued innovation, it incorporates local cultural IPs such as overseas Chinese hometown culture, Chinese animation and mythology, and Yingge dance, taking the traditional craft to the international skills showcase.

At the WorldSkills Competition, Shantou is showcasing a range of Chaoshan intangible cultural heritage works, including inlaid porcelain, gold lacquer painting, dough figurines, wood carving and paper cutting. Behind these works is Shantou's long-term effort to develop its skilled workforce. The city now has 793,000 skilled workers, including 281,900 highly skilled workers. Highly skilled workers account for 35.55% of the city's skilled workforce, and 46 skills master studios have been established at various levels.

世赛中广东展厅这封汕头“手搓情书”，让观众停下了脚步

9月22日至27日，第48届世界技能大赛在上海国家会展中心举行。本次广东展厅重点打造三个展区：世赛成果转化区、侨乡会客厅、技能互动区。世赛金牌沉淀的成果在这里集中亮相，技能绝活在这里触手可及，侨乡的风物和技艺也走到世界面前。

来自汕头技师学院教师黄光延的面塑系列作品《阿嫲的情书·山海乡愁》前，围满了驻足观看的观众。侨批、阿嫲……这些潮汕侨乡的文化符号，被一点点“手搓”进面塑里。

有观众说：“原来面塑不只能捏花鸟鱼虫，还能把侨批和乡愁捏成一封情书” 。“看老师现场手搓，突然觉得非遗不是隔着玻璃的展品，而是有温度、有故事的技艺”。

潮式面塑，是潮汕地区珍贵的传统非遗手工技艺，以糯米、面粉为主要原料，调配天然色素，经数十道手工技法，在方寸之间塑造人物、风物。

这门手艺根植潮汕民俗，过去多用于传统民俗活动；如今通过不断创新，融合侨乡文化、国漫神话、英歌舞等本土IP，登上国际技能展示舞台。

在世界技能大赛中，汕头携嵌瓷、金漆画、面塑、木雕、剪纸等一批潮汕非遗作品登台亮相，背后是汕头久久为功的技能人才队伍建设。目前，全市技能人才总量达79.3万人，高技能人才28.19万人，高技能人才占比提升至35.55%，建成各级技能大师工作室46家。

文丨记者 蚁璐雅
翻译丨郑书悦
审校丨曾敏