Brick Carve (Brick Engraving, Brick Sculpture, Tile Carving) originated in Song Dynasty and reached the peak in Ming and Qing Dynasty. Bricks carved with patterns were used for decorative purposes on the exterior of old houses, mansions, temples, landscape buildings and on the entrance gates, windows and screen walls in houses to bring honor to the owners and their ancestors.

Carvings on bricks cover a wide range of subjects such as animals and plants that represent power and good luck, for example, dragons, phoenixes, plums and bamboo. Other favorite subjects include human figures and scenes from popular myths, legends, dramas and folklores. The sculpture was done on a kind of carefully polished brick which was fine in texture and most suitable for carving. The work might be easily ruined by a slip of the carving tool as it was also brittle.

Brick Carving in Linxia City, Gansu Province was included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage of China. Linxia Brick carving has assimilated the artistic characteristics of painting, stone carving and wood carving and formed its own style. Hong Yuan (Red Garden) and Donggong Guan (East Mansion) in Linxia are considered as museums of brick carvings.