Cloisonné Industrial Tourism Area

Cloisonné Industrial Tourism Area

A national industrial tourism demonstration site, located on Anlelin Road, Yongdingmen Outer Street, Chongwen District, Beijing, between the Second and Third Ring Roads in the southern part of the city. It is about 5 kilometers from the city center. Visitors can reach it by walking just 500 meters south from the south gate of Temple of Heaven, making it highly accessible. Beijing Enamel Factory Co., Ltd. is a distinctive tourism brand enterprise integrating R&D, design, production, trade, and tourism.

This is China’s largest specialized enterprise for the production and operation of cloisonné. Its predecessor, Beijing Enamel Factory, was established in January 1956. In 1958, Chinese cultural celebrity Guo Moruo inscribed the factory name. It is the only “China Time-Honored Brand” in China’s cloisonné industry and a designated producer of tourism products and ethnic goods. In 1978, it was designated as a foreign affairs reception unit for Beijing, and in 1992, it began offering industrial tourism. The factory covers an area of 23,841 square meters, with a building area of 24,251 square meters and a parking lot of 4,600 square meters.

Cloisonné is a renowned traditional Chinese handicraft that originated in the late Yuan Dynasty during the 13th century and flourished during the Jingtai period of the Ming Dynasty, hence the name “cloisonné.” Its production incorporates traditional Chinese techniques such as painting, carving, inlaying, as well as metallurgy and glass melting, making it a masterpiece that combines history, culture, art, and craftsmanship. The finished pieces feature the vibrancy of Song Dynasty ceramics, the richness of brocade, and an antique elegance with dazzling gold and colors. It is regarded as a unique national art form and hailed as the “Jing” essence of national treasures, now listed as part of the national intangible cultural heritage under key protection. Due to the complex, delicate, and time-consuming production process, along with high technical difficulty and production costs, these precious items were initially made exclusively for the imperial court and the royal family, rarely seen among the public. It wasn’t until the late Qing Dynasty that they became available as commercial goods in the market. In the early 1950s, Mr. Ye Shengtao visited the Beijing Special Arts Experimental Factory (merged into the Enamel Factory in 1958) to observe and experience life there, and he wrote “The Making of Cloisonné,” which was later included in middle school Chinese textbooks. He described the craft vividly and in meticulous detail, and many people first learned about cloisonné through this essay. Now, visitors can observe the entire production process, including mold-making, wire-inlaying, enamel-filling, and polishing. The Cloisonné Art Exhibition Hall, master workshops, and exhibition centers for classic and collectible works are all open to the public.

Mold-Making: Processed purple copper sheets are cut into various fan-shaped or differently sized circles, then hammered into molds of different shapes. Wire-Inlaying: Using special pliers, patterns and designs are shaped (bent) and attached to the copper mold, then welded firmly with solder, forming the basic motifs of the cloisonné piece—akin to line drawing in painting. Enamel-Filling: Special enamel glaze is filled into the wired areas using a glue gun and pipette, then fired at high temperatures. This process is repeated three to four times, similar to coloring in painting. Polishing: The fired enamel has uneven thickness and is polished flat to reveal the wire patterns until a uniform shine emerges, after which the next step—gold plating—is carried out. After observing these steps, the mystique of the cloisonné craft is unveiled. The Cloisonné Art Exhibition Hall uses texts, images, and physical displays to illustrate the 600-year development history of cloisonné craftsmanship, showcasing classic works of the Enamel Factory from various periods and styles. It is the first domestic venue to systematically and comprehensively introduce the development of cloisonné art, as well as a platform to demonstrate the achievements of the “Jingfa Brand” cloisonné in inheritance, innovation, and exploration. The open master workshops offer personalized design and custom services. The Classic and Collectible Cloisonné Exhibition Center displays timeless works preserved by the company over the years, award-winning pieces honored at national, ministerial, and municipal levels, and replicas of Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasty collections from the Palace Museum. The featured pioneering masterpieces represent the highest level of modern Chinese cloisonné craftsmanship. The product showroom is like a kingdom of cloisonné art, featuring over 2,000 exquisitely crafted items in diverse shapes and complete specifications.

Transportation Routes

Address: No. 10, Anlelin Road, Yongdingmen Outer Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Transit: Take bus routes 7, 610, 803, or 986 and get off at Liuli Well Station.