Lijiang coppersmith does his best to pass on ancestral skills

In the Wenzhi Lane of northwest Yunnan’s Lijiang Ancient Town, the Copper Smith Family Workshop is hidden in a row of traditional Naxi houses. It covers an area of 20 square meters, with tools, finished and semi-finished copper products piled here and there in it. Its owner He Haizhi is busy with making a copper pot.

He Haizhi is the sixth generation inheritor of the Copper Smith Family. When he was 23 years old, He began to learn copper crafts from his father and uncle. Now, nine years has been past.

For He Haizhi, it is his mission to pass on the ancestral skills. “At the beginning, It took me at least two days to make a little tea cup. But now, I can make three to four cups a day,” He Haizhi said, though he was born and raised in a coppersmith family, but seeing and practicing are much different.

In 2017, He Haizhi began to have the final say in running the workshop after his skills and capability won his fathers’ recognition many times. Since then, he has hammered copper in the workshop day after day, while showing visitors how the spectacular Lijiang culture is passed down.

His products are beautifully shaped and each has its own uniqueness. These hand-made works are popular among customers who come to visit in a continuous stream every day. He Haizhi takes all the products as his babies. Sometimes, when the customers buy and take them away, he feels a little bit lost.

“Lijiang people have a special emotional attachment to copper wares. Hand –made copper products are an essential part of the dowry of a Naxi bride. Every family has cooper utensils like hot pots, basins and barrels,” He Zhihai introduced. He said he will do his best to pass down the copper craftsmanship to the younger generation.

Text and photos from Wechat public account: Coming to Lijiang