“There are 360 trades, and every trade has its master.” This Chinese woman has carved out  a successful career by selling steamed buns, or Mantou in Chinese, which are “created by her hands.” /Tencent Photo

If you still think a steamed bun is something white, round and tasteless, you must visit 46-year-old pastry master, Lin Hong, at one of her shops. She will prove that Mantou can be appetizing and even artistic. /Tencent Photo

In Lin’s hands, dough is endowed with life. Over the past three years, Lin has kneaded dough into the shapes of pears, fish, pigeons, cats and some cartoon figures, and she has even created the steamed bun cake, inspired by the western dessert. A whopping pear-shaped steam bun is put in the middle with several smaller ones around, each of which is decorated with some flower-shaped dough. /Tencent Photo

There's no doubt that her craftsmanship in producing steamed buns has brought financial gain. Each year, her sales can reach as high as 10 million yuan (1.5 million US dollars) from nearly 250 stores across the country, said Lin. /Tencent Photo