Zhao Runsheng, a craftsman, makes a work of art using sorghum straw in his workroom in the Jingxing mining area of Shijiazhuang, Hebei province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In the hands of artisans in the Jingxing mining area of Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, sorghum straw can be made into different shapes — human figures, animals, flowers and buildings.

The handicraft of making things with straw was listed as a provincial intangible cultural heritage in 2007.

A representative of the craftsmen, Zhao Runsheng, who has planted different varieties of sorghum to collect their straw and make handicraft works in the form of antique buildings.

"Making them is a hard work, and requires patience and perseverance," Zhao said.

According to Zhao, figures may need thousands of stalks of straw and more than a million steps. Sometimes, it will take over a year to make a figure, he said.