Inheritor passes on tin carving techniques in China's Jiangxi

Liu Jianqiang, a representative inheritor of the national-level intangible cultural heritage of tin carving techniques, works in a tin carving workshop in Lianhua county, east China's Jiangxi Province. (People's Daily Online/Kong Wenjin)

Liu Jianqiang is a representative inheritor of the national-level intangible cultural heritage of tin carving techniques in Lianhua county, east China's Jiangxi Province.

The craft dates back at least 600 years in the county, according to calculations based on the pedigree of a local family and local historical records.

The inheritor started to learn the craft from his father when he was about 11 years old.

Making a large tin carving work involves over 10 steps, each of which has strict operational requirements, according to Liu.

"Tin carving requires great patience," Liu said, adding that it takes a few days to over 10 days to finish a tin carving work. The most challenging parts are hammering the patterns and carving the designs and characters, he noted.

"In the past, tin carving was passed down only within families. But now, I'm willing to teach anyone who wants to learn. I hope more young people will join us to better preserve and pass on the craft," Liu said.