Cloisonne is one of China’s famous traditional handicrafts. It combines the art of porcelain and copper. Showing off an elegant cloisonné vase on your shelf will make your room more appealing and tasteful. Several days ago, I happened to visit a cloisonné shop in southeast Beijing.

I was immediately attracted to a wide variety of colorful cloisonné vases displayed on the shelves. Before long, the shop owner Mr. Nie came up to me and gave a brief introduction to his products.

Cloisonné became very popular during the reign of Emperor Jingtai (1450 - 1456). At that time, artisans focused on blue, which is pronounced ‘Lan’ in Chinese. So the Chinese call it Jingtai Lan, after the emperor and the color.

In ancient China, cloisonné was only used by the royal family. It could not be made in private workshops or sold in common marketplaces until the late Qing dynasty (1636 - 1912).

Mr. Nie said all of the items in his shop were made in his own factory.

When I asked him which one was the best seller, he passed me a blue and white cloisonné vase. It felt very smooth. The pattern included blue flowers, clouds, and a big dragon.

Besides the large vases, this shop also has smaller items like jewelry.

What I appreciated

Superior workmanship, beautiful colors, cloisonné vases

What customers appreciate

Traditional Chinese handicrafts, fine craftsmanship

The Miao are one of the most fascinating ethnic minorities in China. Recently, I found a Miao handicrafts shop on Yandai Xiejie. I was impressed by their silver ornaments and wax printing works.

The shop owner Mr. Zhang was dressed in the Miao traditional dress. He told me that Miao silver ornaments have a history of 400 years. The Miao have a variety of items that can brighten up your look from head to toe: silver headdresses, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, clothing accessories, waistbands, and anklets.

Miao girls are very partial to silver jewelry, as they see silver as a symbol of purity. And according to Miao customs, the larger, heavier, and more plentiful silver ornaments are considered the most beautiful.

Mr. Zhang showed me a pair of silver earrings. They feature long, beautiful twin birds. The silver threads are as thin as hair. Every detail is so fine.

The headdresses looked pretty heavy. I was afraid to wear any one of them, and it’s not a good idea if you have a slender neck.

The blue cloth items with white patterns are actually wax printings. The patterns show beautiful flowers and Miao girls.

The cloth is made in a unique way: they draw an image on a piece of fabric with wax, and dip the fabric into a vat that contains dark blue dye. The parts of the fabric with wax cannot be dyed, so it will show off a gorgeous white pattern when the wax is removed.

At last, here’s a tip to identify a real wax printing: Take a close look at a real wax painting work, you will find a number of fine, irregular blue crackles on the white area. They are caused when folding the wax-covered area, and the blue dye seizes the opportunity to permeate through the cracks.

What I appreciated

Unique arts and crafts of the Miao minority, the Miao silver jewelry

What customers appreciate

Exquisite silver ornaments, superb craftsmanship

Have you ever heard of iron painting? It’s handmade with iron and a hammer instead of paint and a brush. The art originated more than 300 years ago with a blacksmith in central China. This unique artwork is a good option for ornaments and presents.

There is an iron painting shop in southeast Beijing. I visited them recently.

As soon as I entered the shop, I was fascinated by their work. Most are vivid patterns outlined by black iron stripes. Some of them even have colors, like red plum blossoms.

The shopkeeper Mr. Lu introduced to me a work called “The Guest-greeting Pine.” This old tree is a symbol of Mt. Huang, the most beautiful mountain in China. The lifelike pattern is a miniature reproduction. The original artwork is huge and was created by a famous artist. It is now in the Great Hall of the People at Tiananmen Square.

They also sell small framed iron paintings such as pandas, landscapes, birds, and flowers, which are easily carried anywhere.

What I appreciated

Unique iron painting, outstanding workmanship

What customers appreciate

Authentic Chinese handicrafts, good for decorations and gifts

If you are a foreign traveler in Beijing, your trip is hardly complete if you miss the ancient culture street. Last week I went there again and was impressed by a handicraft shop named ‘Gu Ya Zhai.’ The diversity of their folk arts and crafts will make it easy to find something interesting, such as presents or souvenirs.

As soon as I entered the shop, I found my eyes darting around everywhere, amazed to see so many unique handicrafts. A large variety of porcelain vases, plates and bowls were displayed on antique wooden shelves. Among them, the plain white vases with blue patterns looked more elegant than the colorful ones.

The shopkeeper Mr. Xu greeted me, and told me the most popular items here are the shadow puppets hanging on the wall. They are made of either donkey skin or cow skin. I tried to manipulate one. All of its joints were moveable and flexible. It was very funny!

The small snuff bottles looked so delicate. The caps are made of agate, while the bottles are made of crystal. Fine patterns like landscapes, flowers and birds were painted on the inner walls of the bottles. I still wonder how Chinese craftsmen can do such a wonderful thing.

A pink, vivid kite in the shape of a goldfish also caught my eye. Its big eyes rotate when the wind blows.

The shop also carries Chinese paintings and calligraphy works, jade jewelry, and small, ancient shoes for women… The prices are quite reasonable.

What I appreciated

Folk arts and crafts, fine workmanship

What customers appreciate

Traditional Chinese handicrafts, reasonable prices

Recently I paid a visit to Liulichang Street, which is also known as “Ancient Culture Street.” A sign outside a shop that read ‘Old Beijing Paper-cut’ lured me in.

The house turned out to be full of fine, amazing paper patterns cut with scissors. They depicted ancient Chinese generals and beautiful women, Peking opera characters and facial masks, Chinese zodiac animals, and so on. I even found some images of Western celebrities.

The shopkeeper Ms. He was a middle-aged woman. She told me that all of the works here were handmade at the shop. She even showed me how to cut a pattern with ordinary scissors. Her hands are so skillful!

She showed me one of their most popular works: Twelve red carp are facing the Chinese character ‘Fu,’ which means ‘Blessing.’ The character is upside down, which means that the blessing is coming. The twelve fish represent the twelve months of the year.

Each of the paper-cut items shows great workmanship. They are easy to carry home and you can put them on your windows and doors. Chinese people believe this will bring good luck. Paper-cuts are also excellent souvenirs or presents.

What I appreciated

Local traditional handicraft, fine workmanship

What customers appreciate

Unique handicraft, remarkable workmanship

Between the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower lies a small handicrafts shop. It carries so many handicrafts, finding something appealing to you is never difficult.

In the shop, a clay sculpture in the shape of a tiger’s head quickly caught my eyes. It looked colorful, vivid and exaggerated. According to one of the shopkeepers, it is exclusively made in Shaanxi Province. The locals often hang it on the back door in order to bring happiness and keep the house from evil spirits.

The clay sculptures also had smaller versions that could be brought home easily. A white horse sculpture was so small that you could hold it in your hand. It was painted with a golden saddle and red peonies, which symbolize wealth.

I was very interested in the children's clothes called Bai Jia Yi, which means clothes made of pieces of clothes from one hundred families. In the past, rural people were very poor, but they believed that their life would change, if their children could eat food and wear clothes from one hundred families. The clothes in the shop were pieced together by bits of cloth of different colors, representing one hundred families. On a closer look, I found that they were totally new and clean.

The shopkeepers can speak a little English. They are very friendly and often invite customers to enjoy Chinese tea.

What I appreciated

Folk handicrafts with strong Chinese characteristics

What customers appreciate

Folk handicrafts with strong Chinese characteristics

At the northeast of Tian’anmen Square lies a Chinese folk handicrafts shop. A wooden tablet hangs over the gate that reads ‘Folk Graft Gift’ in English. Don’t miss this: they carry unique handmade Chinese gifts and adornments.

On my recent visit to this shop, I found something that impressed me: bamboo decorations!

According to the shopkeeper Mr. Zhou, customers could have anything inscribed on them, including their names and the English versions of famous Chinese books.

If you have no time to visit the Terra-Cotta Warriors in Xi’an, the shop has small replicas of the warriors.

I also saw replicas of ancient bronze statues and other objects, such as daggers, goblets, cooking vessels, and Pixiu (a legendary animal).

If you like Kung Fu movies, pick up one of their swords. They are made in the famous Shaolin Temple. They are rather heavy, so handle with care.

What I appreciated:

Folk handicrafts, decorations

What customers appreciate:

Folk handicrafts, decorations

A small porcelain shop recently opened on the north side of Di’anmen Dongdajie. It’s easily recognizable, with its white signboard which shows the shop name “Chunny Ceramics”. Their catchphrase, written in Chinese characters, was “We produce practical works of art”. I went inside to check it out.

The wooden shelves show various uniquely shaped ceramics, including sculptures, vessels, home decorations, tea sets, wall decorations, and necklaces. The shopkeeper, Mr. Li, told me that all of their products are designed by professional artisans in Jingdezhen, the famous ceramics capital of China.

He also said that each item is uniquely handmade. If you buy one cup, you can be sure that there’s no other cup in the world like it. To check, I looked at their ceramics one by one carefully, and found that each one really did look different from others.

The cups I picked up had irregular small pits on the surface, but my fingers fit around the pits comfortably. That’s when I realized that this cup was designed this way.

One cup usually costs RMB 10 - 20. Note that nearly each cup bears their registered brand name “Chun Ni”, which means “Spring Soil” in English.

They also accept customer requests. If you have a particular idea in mind, they can design and make a custom ceramic work in about 20 days. Two assistants who can speak some English ensure smooth communication.

What I appreciated

Original design, one piece one style

What customers appreciate

Distinct ceramics, good for gift and souvenir

Paper-cuttings are pictures cut from paper, using scissors or blades. It has been around in China for about two thousand years. People generally paste these patterns on windows, lanterns, or doors to express the feelings of joy and life values. They look both beautiful and interesting, and are widely popular among Chinese.

On the north side of Di’anmen East Street, a paper-cutting shop recently opened. Its name, Jinyi, means ‘Golden Art’ in English.

When I stepped into the shop yesterday afternoon, the shopkeeper Mr. Zhao greeted me at once. He hails from Yuxian, a county near Beijing nicknamed ‘the village of paper-cuttings’. Mr. Zhao’s grandpa started making paper-cuttings, and now Mr. Zhao is the third generation in the family business.

He told me that a single paper-cutting usually features just one color, but can be layered to have a variety of patterns. Take the piece that depicted cows grazing on grass, for instance. You can see four colors, one on top of another: yellow, brown, green and black. This elaborate work, which cost 480 yuan, required four times the work of a single piece.

They also have small items ideal for gifts or souvenirs, like a set of 12 Chinese zodiac animals which opens up like a pamphlet (RMB 10). A finely-cut miniature Emperor’s robe cost only RMB 3. They even have paper portraits of Einstein and Mona Lisa.

Mr. Zhao added that there will be an artisan making paper-cuttings on spot every day. Customers can learn the basics of the art free of charge. They also take custom orders.

What I appreciated

Folk handicraft, elaborate paper-cut works

What customers appreciate

Traditional works of art by hand, superb workmanship