Li Hongpeng presents his micro-engraving work at his Changchun, Jilin province, studio. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

After four years of work, Li Hongpeng recently finished his micro-engraving project, the 860,000-character Journey to the West, at his studio in Changchun, Jilin province.

The red and white stone carvings depict the scene of the classic Chinese tale of the travels of the Monkey King and his three disciples. The flat surfaces of Li's stones are covered with densely packed characters.

 

Li Hongpeng presents his micro-engraving work at his Changchun, Jilin province, studio. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Li, 70, a Jilin provincial master of arts and crafts, has spent 10 years completing micro-engravings of Dream of the Red Chamber and Journey to the West on stones.

"With an average of 0.6 millimeters per grid, I had a reference when engraving so that I wouldn't be affected by the curvature of the stone," said Li. "To focus on carving peacefully, I often started working when the night was quiet, solely to create excellent works."

Li Hongpeng presents his micro-engraving work at his Changchun, Jilin province, studio. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"The tools I use for micro-engraving are all self-made, such as engraving knives, which are even finer than needle tips and require frequent sharpening during use," he said. "I enjoy the process of slowly refining my work."

"Engraving a classic novel on a piece of stone not only has aesthetic value but also has value for collection and inheritance," he said. "My wish is to present all four of China's classic novels on stones."