Chinese artist Liu Jun has rescued the humble walnut shell from the dustbin and recreated it into miniature sculptures. /VCG Photo

The art lover from Shandong Province has been working on carving out walnut sculptures since 2008. Prior to that, he had worked on his carving skills for eight years. /VCG Photo

Liu has visited many renowned carving artists while travelling across China, developing his own engraving style along the way. He uses walnut shells as canvas, producing plenty of works featuring Chinese mythological figures as well as ancient folk tales. /VCG Photo

Over the past 10 years, Liu has engraved more than 400 walnut artworks. Not surprisingly, his hard work has paid off, earning nationwide and provincial art rewards. /VCG Photo