A glimpse of Jingtailan artworks at Beijing Enamel Factory

Zhong Liansheng and a craftsman apply filigree on Jingtailan artwork at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Haofu) 

Introduced from the Arabian countries during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and became popular during the "Jingtai" years of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), "Jingtailan" represents a special localized cloisonne wrought of copper and porcelain.

With patterns structured with copper wires and painted with enamel glaze all on a copper body, dozens of procedures including burning, grinding and gilding are applied to make a Jingtailan piece. Within 600 years, the craftwork are integrated into the traditional Chinese art.

Beijing Enamel Factory, first set up in 1956, is the only China Time-honored Brand in Jingtailan making now also serves as a production and protection base of the crafts.

Over the past 60 plus years, the factory cradled a team made up of professional Jingtailan craftsmen, and Zhong Liansheng, a Chinese Master of Arts and Crafts, is one of the best.

Zhong Liansheng, general manager of the Beijing Enamel Factory, is a national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor for the Jingtailan cloisonne.

Zhong started his career in 1978 when he began to learn the art in a school, and one of the masterpieces that he is most proud of is the enamel watch invented by his team. The piece, featuring an exquisite pattern lined with fine pure gold or silver wires of a diameter of 0.045 millimeters and filled with glaze on the dial, is completed with a help of a 40x microscope.

Zhong insists that the intangible cultural heritage can be passed to generations only by integrating it into people's daily life. With their efforts, Jingtailan art is accepted in common people's life and recently even is applied into wider aspects as architecture decorations.

Short before his retirement, Zhong's daily work includes patrolling on the production line of Jingtailan and teaching apprentices among whom some are honored titles as city-level masters of arts and crafts to pass on the technique.

Zhong Liansheng works on a piece of Jingtailan artwork at a workshop of Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

Zhong Liansheng checks Jingtailan artwork at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

A workshop is pictured at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Haofu)

Craftsmen work on Jingtailan artwork at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Tian Weiwei)

Craftswomen talk on the skills of making Jingtailan at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Haofu)

A craftsman makes Jingtailan patterns on a dial under a microscope at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Haofu)

A craftswoman works on a piece of Jingtailan artwork at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)

This photo taken on Dec. 12, 2019 shows a piece of Jingtailan artwork being burnt in fire at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China.(Xinhua/Li Xin)

This photo taken on May 15, 2024 shows a watch made with Jingtailan technique displayed at the Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Tian Weiwei)

A piece of Jingtailan artwork is displayed at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Tian Weiwei)

Zhong Liansheng talks with his colleagues on the skills of making Jingtailan artwork at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

A designed pattern of Jingtailan and shaped copper wires are pictured at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Haofu)

Zhong Liansheng works on a large scale pattern of Jingtailan artwork at his workshop of Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

This photo taken on Dec. 12, 2019 shows a piece of Jingtailan artwork being burnt in fire at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

This photo taken on Dec. 12, 2019 shows a piece of Jingtailan artwork being burnt in fire at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

This photo taken on Dec. 12, 2019 shows Jingtailan artwork in making in fire at Beijing Enamel Factory in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li Xin)