Silver and Copper Handicrafts

Silver and Copper Handicrafts

　　 The silver and copper handicrafts of Heqing County are exquisitely crafted and are sold both domestically and internationally, winning the favor of consumers. Located at the foot of Phoenix Mountain in the northwest of Heqing County, Xinhua Village is renowned for crafting various types of silver and copper jewelry and ornaments. Currently, almost every household in the village has a handicraft workshop, employing over 1,200 people. The production of these handicrafts retains traditional craftsmanship methods, with each household producing unique items that differ from one another, forming a production pattern of “one industry per village, one specialty per household.” In addition to traditional ethnic handicrafts such as bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings, brooches, and Bai-style locks, many new products have also been developed—such as silver bowls, spoons, wine pots, water-pouring pots, large and small trumpets used by Tibetan people—as well as thousands of items for the Bai, Han, Miao, and Dai ethnic groups. These products are made from gold, silver, and copper, with designs tailored to market demand. They are mainly sold to Tibet, Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Guizhou, Hunan, Guangxi, and Guangdong, and are also exported to countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Japan. With the growing fame of Xinhua Village’s ethnic crafts, coupled with the beautiful scenery of Heilongtan at the foot of Phoenix Mountain, the village has become a distinctive ethnic tourism destination. Xiu’yi Village in the suburbs of Heqing County, known as the “Copper Smith Village,” has historically been famous for crafting copper gongs, teapots, and hot pots. Since the reform and opening-up, traditional crafts have seen significant development, with over 100 households in the village engaged in copper processing. In addition to traditional cookware, they mainly produce Tibetan water jars, which have not only expanded the village’s copperware production but also boosted surrounding villages. Xinhua Village and Xiu’yi Village are just two typical examples of Heqing County’s silver and copper handicraft industry. Today, this traditional craft is gradually emerging in several villages across the county, forming a certain scale of production and holding broad prospects for development. (Dali)