Bronzeware Craft (Datong Bronzeware-Making)

Datong bronzeware-making is a traditional metal handcraft transmitted in the urban districts of Datong, with a long history. Datong has produced and used copper since antiquity; by the Ming and Qing, bronze and brass work flourished here, known for regular forms and fine workmanship, with the 'Datong copper hotpot' as its celebrated emblem.

The craft turns on many hand stages — selecting and cutting stock, forming, soldering, chasing patterns and polishing — with artisans using engraving and inlay to decorate vessels with dragon, phoenix and floral motifs, uniting use and ornament in an intricate, skill-testing process.

In 2014, bronzeware-making (Datong bronzeware) was inscribed on the fourth national list of intangible cultural heritage (item no. VIII-222), and in 2018 it entered the first national catalogue for revitalizing traditional crafts — a signature handcraft of Datong.

The craft is centered in Datong's urban districts, and its motifs and forms often echo local cultural elements such as the Yungang Grottoes and Datong's dragon imagery.