Historical records indicate that the traditional Chinese dough modeling art had written records as early as the Han Dynasty. After thousands of years of inheritance and development, it has a long history and has become an integral part of Chinese culture and folk art. It is also an indispensable material for the study of history, archaeology, folklore, sculpture, and aesthetics. Regarding the molding style, the Yellow River region features a simple, bold, unrestrained, and profound style, while the Yangtze River region is characterized by delicate, elegant, and exquisite craftsmanship.

The characteristics of the dough modeling art are "one stamp, two pinches, three inlays, four rolls" (the steps of clay modeling), as well as "the chest of a literary person, the belly of a warrior, the back of an old man, and the waist of a beauty."

Dough modeling is actually steamed bread. It is made by adding color to glutinous rice flour and shaping it into small human figures. It mainly appears in wedding gifts, funeral offerings, and is also used for birthdays, gift-giving to friends and relatives, and prayer ceremonies. In rural areas, after steaming various dough models, they are placed before deities. Among them, the dough model shaped like a pig's head is commonly called "big offering." There are also flower molds, fruit molds, ceremonial molds, and dough toys. The tools for making dough models are very simple: white flour, scissors, kitchen knives, combs, red dates, and Sichuan pepper. As long as one masters the technique of leavening the dough and follows the patterns for shaping, a vivid dough model will emerge.