Qihua (Yangzhou Lacquerware)

The Yangzhou Lacquerware Factory was established in 1955, gathering generations of the city's lacquer masters and continuing a tradition over two thousand years old. Its "Qihua" trademark was named a China Time-Honored Brand in 2006 and is the sole holder of the "Yangzhou Lacquerware" geographical indication.

Yangzhou lacquer is known for techniques such as mother-of-pearl inlay, carved lacquer, engraved-and-gilded lacquer and painted decoration. Screens, hanging panels and display pieces have made it a celebrated example of Huaiyang decorative art at home and abroad.

The "Yangzhou lacquer-decorating craft" carried on by Qihua is highly elaborate—from forming the body, lacquering and grinding to inlay and decoration, with repeated polishing. A single piece can take months or even years to complete.

The factory serves as the protecting unit for the first-batch national ICH item "Yangzhou lacquer-decorating craft."