Zhao Mingzhu, a fine art teacher in Daishan county of Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: zjzsqdxq] 

Zhao Mingzhu, who teaches fine art at the Gaoting Primary School in Daishan county of Zhoushan, was recently conferred a provincial award, according to an announcement posted on the official website of the People's Government of Zhejiang Province. 

Held every three years, the special award honors teachers who have made significant contributions to education in the province. 

The 54-year-old has been teaching in Daishan since she graduated from college in 1990. Despite her workload, she always spends her spare time guiding students who are preparing for contests. More than 600 pieces of artworks created by her students have won prizes in various contests. 

Zhao also conducts paper cutting classes for fishing village residents, as well as holds traditional Chinese painting lessons for the elderly during the winter and summer holidays. 

An expert in paper cutting works that feature the local maritime culture, Zhao is also an inheritor of the craft, which was listed as a Daishan intangible cultural heritage.