Their choice saddened Lin Longzao, their father and a retired local carpenter who lives in Xianyou County in East China's Fujian Province. He could not see any promising future in the old family craft.

Today, more than 20 years later, the Lin brothers are not only running a successful woodcarving business, but they have also won national acclaim for their ingenuity and skill.

The brothers work and live in a seven-storey building called "Mudiao Ge" (Woodcarving loft), in Baxia village in Xianyou County.

Both are accomplished wood craft artists best known for their works of Buddhist figurines.

Lin Qingquan won silver medal at the 2001 China Art and Craft Master Work Festival for his artwork "Riyueming (The Sun, the Moon and the Guanyin Bodhisattva)."

The jury considered it "an extraordinary master work."

People could feel the Guanyin Bodhisattva come "alive" when they saw the floating belts, curly hair and modest smile, one art critic commented.

At the same festival, younger brother Qingcai won a gold medal for his work "Ten Thousand Buddhist Figures."

He carved different figures of Buddha, Buddhism Arhat, Bodhisattvas and Buddhist monks on a precious agalloch, which itself is worth at least 1 million yuan (US$122,000).

Each Buddha bears different features and shows different expressions. Some smile or frown; others are serious or cynical. All are subtly carved with flowers, water, trees and stones. The diverse names of Buddha, Bodhisattvas and monks follow the descriptions in ancient Chinese mythology.

Baxia village, where the Lin brothers were born, has been known to the locals as "the hometown of carpenter" for hundreds of years.

"I thought woodcarving was like magic when I was a child," said Lin Qianquan, 45. "I was intrigued while looking at my father using a little knife to cut a piece of common and rough wood and finally turn it to a pretty figure."

Qingcai, born three years later, was also drawn to his father's deft hands.

Like many rural families in China at that time, the Lin family had trouble making ends meet. So the young brothers decided to learn their father's craft to help out.

Lin Qingquan, then 15, walked along the county streets holding his younger brother's hand and asked at each door if they needed woodcarving work.

"I still remember those tough days," Lin Qingquan said. "But local people welcomed us and liked our work. And we were able to improve our skills."

In 1979, Lin Qingquan passed the entrance exam at the Xiamen Art and Design School. But because his family had no money to pay his tuition, he had to forego the chance to go to the school.

To earn a living, Lin found a job in a woodcarving factory in Xianyou County.

After working as an apprentice in his father's workshop for several years, Lin Qingcai started his own firm in 1988, specializing in sandalwood carving. His brother joined the family business the same year.

The two brothers work together well. Qingquan knows little about business but devotes all his heart to art while his younger brother is a shrewd businessman, as well as being a good wood carver.

"More orders came to the company after my brother joined in," said Lin Qingcai. "He is one of the best carvers.

"But he is hardly prolific because he does not turn in his piece until he is totally satisfied with it. He does not want to reduce the quality of his art just to make more money."

Most of the works that come out of the Lin brothers' workshop are Buddhist statues and related works.

Carving statues of the Buddha has long been a dominant subject in traditional Chinese woodcarving, but it is not easy.

It demands not only excellent carving skills but also a rich knowledge and deep understanding of traditional images of the Buddha in people's heart.

According to one authentic Buddhist scripture, Guanyin Bodhisattva has 33 reincarnations and most of them bear female features to show kindness and generosity.

"To me, the Bodhisattva is first a woman, then a human being, then a god." Lin Qingquan said when talking about his award-winning work. "I tried to grasp not only her meticulous expression as a woman but also her honorable shapes as a god."

He said traditional Chinese woodcarving is a precious art legacy that will never be forgotten.

(China Daily January 21, 2002)