Silver craft competition kicks off in Heqing, SW China's Yunnan

Photo shows a scene of the 2025 design competition for handcrafted silver products held in Heqing county, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Li Guowei)

A design competition for handcrafted silver products recently opened in Heqing county, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. The contest showcased a range of distinctive works that blend aesthetic appeal with practical functionality, highlighting the charm of Heqing silver craft, which was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2014.

The craft can be traced back to the Nanzhao Kingdom (738-902) in what is now Yunnan and represents a distinctive traditional handicraft of the Bai ethnic group. Xinhua village in the county is known as "China's premier silverware hub."

Currently, over 3,000 households in the county engage in silver product manufacturing and sales, with approximately 18,000 people employed in related sectors. This has fostered a large pool of skilled artisans and a complete silver industrial chain.