The 180-year-old Clay Figurine Zhang School was created by Zhang Mingshan in North China's Tianjin. People liked his clay figurines so much that they nicknamed Zhang "Clay Figurine Zhang," hence the name of his school.

Zhang Mingshan was born in a poor family in Tianjin. He learned from his father how to make clay figurines at a very young age. Zhang was clever, deft and full of imagination. He carefully observed people at different places, such as market fairs and theaters.

His clay figurines were very vivid and expressive, and Zhang and his figurines were soon well known in the surrounding area. Zhang not only inherited a legacy of traditional skills but also incorporated skills from other art forms such as painting, opera singing and Chinese folk wood engravings. He created more than 10,000 clay figurines during his lifetime, and his unique handicrafts became famous both at home and abroad.

Clay figurines created by Zhang include heroes and villains from Chinese folk stories, novels, and operas as well as scenes from daily life. He used pure colloidal clay, and his figures are all vivid and expressive, reflecting rich regional and local customs.