Lanterns are an essential part of Chinese festivals and are symbols of prosperity. In a small workshop tucked away in one of Beijing’s hutongs, a group of craftsmen are dedicated to preserve the tradition of making Chinese lanterns by hand.
Established in the late Qing dynasty, Wenshengzhai is a workshop specializing in making lanterns. The workshop used to tailor make lanterns for Beijing’s historic palaces. The palace lanterns were often made using wooden frames and incorporate illustrious landscape or portrait paintings.
Although times have moved on and most factories mass produce lanterns by machines, the craftsmen at Wenshenzhai hope to preserve the skills of lantern making by hand. It usually takes at least five years for an apprentice to master the necessary skills and only a few young people have the patience and passion needed in this traditional craftsmanship, explains Guo Yanqing at the workshop. He is one of the few people in China who are capable of making palace lanterns independently and is dedicated to keeping this centuries-old tradition alive.
