Committed silversmith continues work in Pingyao

Updated:2017-10-23 17:36
By Wang Jing ( chinadaily.com.cn)

Liu Xingdong, a 45-year-old silversmith, is now one of the remaining two operators of silverware shops, in the Ancient City of Pingyao, Shanxi province.

"Back when I was 17, there were some 80 or 90 silverware shops," Liu said, "it is hard for handmade silverware to survive the competition because they cost so much labor and time."

"A handmade piece of silverware often takes me two or three days and is sold at a price of 500 yuan ($75.32 ), while machines can produce up to 100 pieces of silverware a day, they can be sold for just tens of yuan," Liu added.

Liu's business experienced ups and downs over the years. In 1997 he rented a store on the most prosperous street in Pingyao, but then had to shut it down two years later due to stagnant business.

During the two years, he became acquainted with a businessman from Taiwan who came to collect handmade silverware.

The businessman began purchasing silverware from Liu, which enabled his business to thrive again. From 2005 to 2015, orders from Taiwan accounted for about 70 percent of the total.

Over the past two years, however, orders from Taiwan have been decreasing. Liu has had to travel to big cities and the southern part of China to promote his work since he found traditional handicrafts were still cherished in these areas.

Liu is now facing an increasing number of orders and no longer worries about whether his work will sell out or not.

Since he began his silverware career 29 years ago, Liu has dedicated himself to quality workmanship. In 2015, he won the gold award in an innovative product design competition at the 50th National Crafts Trade Fair.

In 2005, Liu began to recruit apprentices and five of them have already finished their training. Currently, he has five apprentices who are between 18 and 24 years old.