It was after the mid Ming Dynasty that bamboo carving gradually developed into an independent art form. Because bamboo has the cultural connotations of moral integrity, seclusion and man of honor in China which was consistent with mental needs of the intelligentsia of that time, bamboo carving won their favor. A number of sculptors with higher educational background and artistic accomplishment devoted themselves to bamboo carving creation. They absorbed nutrients from calligraphy and painting, and created high-grade bamboo carving works. People no longer treated bamboo and wood carving as an eery skill, but regarded it as a sign of refinement to get bamboo carving works of masters for decoration and appreciation.

The most famous bamboo carvings are from Jiading of Shanghai and Baoqing of Hunan.