Nanjing Gold Foil

Nanjing Gold Foil

　　Nanjing Gold Foil is a specialty product of Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. In a narrow sense, Nanjing Gold Foil specifically refers to pure gold foil produced in Nanjing; in a broader sense, it encompasses all types of metal foils. The areas around Longtan Town in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing and Huayuan Township in Jiangning District serve as hubs for the production and distribution of Nanjing Gold Foil and Gold Thread. Local farmers possess the traditional skills of “beating foil” and “making thread,” which have been passed down through generations. The production process of Nanjing Gold Foil is unique and highly technical. From ancient times to the present, it has always been made entirely by hand-hammering, representing a distinctive traditional craft of China. Producing gold foil involves over ten intricate procedures, including melting the gold, flattening it into leaves, laying it in molds, baking, twisting, hammering, shaping, and cutting. Through these meticulous processes, gold bars are hammered into ultra-thin sheets as delicate as cicada wings—stacks of 1,100 sheets of gold foil measure less than 0.1 centimeters in height. The high quality of Nanjing Gold Foil has earned it widespread acclaim.

　　Nanjing Gold Foil boasts a long history, dating back as early as the Southern Dynasties. Historical records from that period already mention the production of gold and silver foil and the establishment of brocade workshops. The art of gold leaf application is a treasured gem among China's traditional folk crafts. Archaeological findings from the Sanxingdui site in Guanghan County, Sichuan Province, dating back over five thousand years to the Neolithic Age, include bronze artifacts adorned with thin gold sheets, proving that our ancestors were not only aware of the value of gold over five millennia ago but also skilled in applying gold leaf. By the Shang Dynasty, more than three thousand years ago, China’s gold leaf application techniques had matured significantly and were widely used to embellish imperial palaces, noble residences, Buddha statues, and temples—enhancing their grandeur and majesty. Nanjing is the birthplace of gold foil, and with its emergence came the development of the gold leaf application technique. Since ancient times, the formulas for making gold foil and the skills of applying it have been closely guarded secrets, making it difficult for people to imagine how gold could be hammered into sheets thinner than cicada wings or how those delicate sheets could be applied to various surfaces. After years of exploration and technological innovation, artisans specializing in gold leaf techniques have unveiled the mysteries of ancient craftsmanship. Large-scale production of gold foil began during the Yuan Dynasty and saw further advancement during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. A piece of gold-threaded court robe unearthed in 1975 from the tomb of Xu Fu, the fifth-generation descendant of Xu Da outside Taiping Gate, serves as physical evidence of Nanjing Gold Thread from over four hundred years ago. The areas around Longtan Town in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing and Huayuan Township in Jiangning County are hubs for the production and distribution of Nanjing Gold Foil and Gold Thread. The local farmers have inherited the traditional skills of “beating foil” and “making thread,” passing them down through generations. Nanjing Gold Foil has a long history. The areas around Longtan Town in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing and Huayuan Township in Jiangning County are centers of gold foil and gold thread production. Its production method is unique, involving manual hammering, and is a distinctive traditional craft of China. It consists of gold sheets hammered into ultra-thin pieces no thicker than 0.1 micrometers. It is mainly used for decorative gilding on architecture, objects, Buddhist statues, and as an ingredient in precious traditional Chinese medicine formulations.