China’s arts and crafts are well-know for their long history and uniqueness. The jade in Beijing and Yangzhou whose raw materials include white jade, jasper, green jade, agate, rose quartz, etc., is characterized by its distinct national style of simplicity, gracefulness and delicate lucidity and noted for human figures such as disciples of Buddha, fairy ladies, birds, animals, insects, flowers, incense-burners,etc. Special emphasis is given to moulding, attention to detail,meticulousness in composition and susceptibility to variation. You can enjoy abundant arts and crafts while traveling China.
Millions of foreigners, overseas Chinese, Hong Kong and Macao compatriots visit China every year for business, sightseeing or exchange purpose in the fields of economy, trade, sports, science, and culture. Many of them return home loaded with souvenirs. In fact there cannot be many people who could manage to stay in China and not be tempted to do any shopping. China offers a dazzling range of arts and crafts from antiques to chopsticks, kites and snuff bottles.
Cloisonne is a unique art form that originated in Beijing during the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368). In the period titled 'Jingtai' during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), the emperor who was very much interested in bronze-casting techniques, improved the color process, and created the bright blue that appealed to the Oriental aesthetic sense. After a processing breakthrough, most articles for his daily use were made of cloisonne; in time cloisonne became popular among the common people; their favorite called 'Jingtai Blue'.
During the reigns of Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), cloisonne improved and reached its artistic summit. Colors were more delicate, filigrees more flexible and fluent, and scope was enlarged beyond the sacrifice-process wares into snuff bottles, folding screens, incense burners, tables, chairs, chopsticks, and bowls.
Today cloisonne technique is associated with the sculpture of wood, jade, ivory and lacquer. Cloisonne art is exported to many countries as a favorite medium for ornaments.
The lacquer ware is one of exquisite Chinese crafts. Chinese lacquer ware has a long history dating back as early as the New Stone Age. The original wares in China were those coated with black and red lacquers. From the Shang Dynasty to the Han, colorful painting, gold inlaying and other techniques were introduced into the production of lacquer ware. The oldest lacquer ware discovered dates back to the Warring State Period (403--221 BC) when lacquer ware was popular.
Chinese lacquer is a natural varnish made from the sap of the lacquer tree. China is abundant in lacquer resources. Lacquer trees in Mainland China are distributed in some 550 counties in 23 provinces. Exposed to air, it forms a plastic coat, resistant to water, acid or alkaline corrosion. To make lacquer ware, a base coat is applied to a core material, followed by extremely thin layers of the finest lacquer. Once these have dried, a final layer is added to make the lacquer strong and light, whilst maintaining the elegant appearance and harmonious color. It was in the Tang, Song and Yuan dynasties, when the lacquer ware production started to flourish.
Fuzhou lacquer wares are resistant to heat, acid, alkali and electricity. The lacquer wares made in Yangzhou are famous for their elegance and delicacy and the unique creative technique. Pingyao, an ancient town in Shanxi Province, produces lacquer ware which features the luster polished by craftsman's palms.
Silk products and embroidery, exquisite in workmanship, multifarious in patterns, harmonious in colour scheme, and distinctive in national style, are really good buys in Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Shantou and Beijing. Suzhou pieces look nearly impossible to have been done with single filaments of silk. The double-sided hand embroidery, with its dazzling colours and triking patterns, is especially nifty.
Many tourists are interested in some special local crafts such as clay figurines in Wuxi, among which the famous “Lucky Fatties” are obese babies, symbols of fortune and happiness, bambooware in Chengdu, sandalwood fans in Suzhou, plaited straw ware (hats, mats, baskets) and shell-carvings in Qingdao. All in all, China is not only a country with a long history of culture and art, but also a shopper’s paradise.