Inheritor of Filigree Mosaic art in Beijing

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Dong Ruijing shows a pair of Filigree Mosaic earrings at his studio in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 3, 2024. Filigree Mosaic art, a traditional imperial handicraft dating back to the Spring and Autumn period (770 B.C.-476 B.C.), reached its peak in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). In 1958, five cooperatives specialized in Filigree Mosaic art in Beijing merged into one factory, which had revived this traditional art from almost extinction. In 2008, Filigree Mosaic art was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage.

Four main crafts, namely making filigree, inlaying jewels, engraving and making the rough-body, are involved in the art, where a product needs to go through about 100 procedures. Nowadays, these skills are still being imparted by a master to an apprentice in a literally hand-holding manner, and can only be grasped through long-time practices.

Dong Ruijing, a Beijing native born in 1970, has been learning the art since he was 15. In 1988, he entered the Beijing Filigree Mosaic Factory and became an apprentice of three masters Yang Rui, Wu Kenan and Bai Jingyi. In 2006, he set up his own company to further develop the art.

For more than three decades, Dong and his apprentices have been dedicated to the innovation of the art, integrating it with other crafts such as lacquer carving and enamel art. Their products are now exported to markets like Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia.

By far, Dong has cultivated over 20 craftsmen on the art, and has built up a production base on Filigree Mosaic artwork in Zunhua of north China's Hebei Province, where he has also trained nearly 100 farmers.

Joining hands with Beijing Cultural Development Foundation, Dong started a project in 2023 on cultivating new-generation Filigree Mosaic talents across Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. "It's lonely and tough in persisting the art," said Dong, "My love for it has encouraged me all along the way." In his view, to pass down the craft, artists should come up with products that cater to modern aesthetics and people's daily needs. (Xinhua/Zhu Weixi)