With its rich and profound history, the province of Zhejiang in East China has left behind a treasure trove of artistic skills and handicrafts and one of them is the traditional art of gold painting.
In Huaihe Street, in Yueqing – a county-level city administered by Wenzhou in Zhejiang – two master craftsmen are working together in a shop displaying their gilded lacquerware.
Painter Chen Guangyuan and woodworker Huang Gongyan have a tacit understanding that quality is of the utmost importance, no matter how long it takes.
Like other master woodworkers, Huang chooses durable and economical softwood from fir trees to make his pieces. The difference is that he always spends a great deal of time on sharpening his wood planer before starting work.
A basic round wooden utensil can take him six to seven hours to finish, but the quality is guaranteed. Consequently, his woodwork has a smooth surface free of burrs and the joints are all smooth and natural.
Next it's the turn of Chen, 70, who in this collaboration takes on the subsequent processes, which are also time-consuming – involving painting and gilding. His work is impeccable, but then he has over 50 years of experience.
According to Chen, the gilded painting of southern Zhejiang originated in the port city of Ningbo and can be traced back to before the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
In the past, people bought gold-painted works for weddings, but nowadays many buy them for their personal collections.
"I hope the gilded paintings are not only displayed in windows, but also appear in people's lives, so this traditional technique can be passed down," Chen said.
