Traditional crafts shape future

Birth of craftsmanship

The village boasts a long history and its residents used to make their way to the colorful glaze factory in Beijing and served the royal family during the Ming Dynasty, says Gou Shuren, the village's Party secretary.

Although there has been back and forth in the village development, the villagers' craftsmanship has managed to survive the test of time and get carried forward, Gou says.

Craftsmanship in the village got an opportunity to evolve when a local named Gou Lingzhi was appointed a magistrate in Tongzhou, Beijing, on the strength of his knowledge and writing during the reign of Emperor Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). He continued to make his way to the imperial palace and became a teacher of the royal children.

Under his recommendation, the carpenters from Nanhan village were then admitted to workshops in the palace, making furniture and other daily items for the royal family.

"Therefore, they got to know many other craftsmen in the palace and hone their skills, planting the seeds of development of Nanhan village afterward," Gou Shuren says.

In 1973, a foreign trade company sent several senior craftsmen to Nanhan and set up the Nanhan jade-grinding plant, which evolved to produce a wide range of artifacts, such as Ming-style chairs, Qing-style red sandalwood tables, jade-inlaid jewelry and seal boxes.

The elegant design and fine workmanship immediately made Nanhan's works popular across the country.

Yet, the plant bore the brunt of changes in the country's economic and market development in the 1980s, and broke up. The workers then went on their own and were struggling to find odd jobs to make ends meet, some even having to leave home.

Things took a turn for the better in 2015 when the village authorities brought together those scattered artisans and established the Nanhan mahogany furniture and tourism products association.

The association then standardized quality management and marketing operations, and sent Party members to broaden sales channels.

The improved business-running model and the exquisite craftsmanship of the products soon saw the annual income of Nanhan village reach more than 130 million yuan ($18.92 million), with per capita income of more than 100,000 yuan.

The products have been widely recognized by overseas markets and have made their way to the United States, the United Kingdom and South Korea.

Those improved conditions have also helped preserve and carry forward the historical craftsmanship, ranging from wood, jade and lacquer carving and filling, gilding and painting.

"Locals have come to believe that possessing a handicraft skill can enable them to make a living," Gou Shuren says.

To date, more than 1,700 locals have been involved in traditional crafts business, and more than 200 people have acquired multiple skills.

It has been a routine for Gou Jianhui to engrave the outlines of such items as jewelry boxes.

"The handicraft should be practical and embody people's attitude toward life," the 53-year-old says.

He learned the techniques of carved lacquerware, a provincial intangible cultural heritage, from master artisans.

"The Party and the government have done a lot for us, which has consolidated our confidence," Gou Jianhui says.

"Therefore, the palatial crafts should not end in our hands," he adds.

Gou Jianhui has been exploring the application of traditional crafts to modern life.

"The idea is to have people see them, feel them and be able to afford them," he says.