Xiao Yongsheng is the owner of a small beach and a traditional Chinese house on Lingshan Island, off the coast of Qingdao city in eastern China’s Shandong province. When he decided to renovate his large home, he wondered if it was worth spending money on expensive designers and architects. Ultimately, he decided to save up and do it for free – he spent two whole years covering every inch of his 1,500-square meter house with seashells that he collected from his own beach.
“I’d always liked shells but it never struck me to use them until I was walking on a beach one morning and came across a very unusually colored clam shell and then it hit me,” said the 58-year-old. “I realised I was sitting next to a huge, free supply of beautiful building material – so why not use it?” So he began collecting every kind of shell he could find – right from tiny 3-millimeter ones to giant conches that weighed over four kilograms.
“I used them for everything,” he explained. “For decoration, for roof tiles, as handles, and even crushed up to make mosaics. They are everywhere.”
“I didn’t do this for anyone else or to turn my home into an exhibition,” he added. “I just did it because I wanted to make my home beautiful for myself.” Xiao is currently using his house as a museum to display the history of the island and the daily life of local fishermen.
His seashell decorated home has now become one of the most popular tourist attractions on Lingshan Island.
via CRI Online
