Ji's sheepskin paintings and sheepskin calligraphy and painting papers of Baotou's enterprise are exhibited at the fifth CIIE on Nov 4-10. [Photo/WeChat account of Baotou Daily]

An artist is hard at work. [Photo/Baotou news network]

Bride in Ordos is created by the artist. [Photo/Baotou news network]

At the fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE) on Nov 4-10, Ji's sheepskin paintings as well as sheepskin calligraphy and painting papers from Inner Mongolia Zhongchuan Industry Co in Baotou were featured at the cultural exchange exhibition at CIIE.

Ji's sheepskin painting is an ancient art form and the only extant form of sheepskin painting in China.

The painting paper was independently-developed and won a national invention patent in 2017. The product includes rare earth elements and mothproof Chinese herbal medicine. It is light and thin like paper and flexible yet strong, meaning it can be preserved for a long time and is ideal for artistic creation.

In 2017, the cultural industry project service platform of the Ministry of Culture identified the painting paper as a boutique project. The processed high-end art of sheepskin has been exported to Europe, America, South Korea, Mongolia and the Arab region.

Additionally, as an intangible cultural heritage project at the level of Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Ji's sheepskin painting was included in the first group of "Catalogue of Traditional Crafts Revitalization Projects in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region" in 2021 and the first group of "Chinese National Arts and Crafts Yearbook Exhibition" in 2022.