Bronze wares are hung everywhere in Mr. Su's Bronze Stores.
Xi Guan's bronze wares: a handicraft of great artistic values.
Few people would guess when entering into Su Guang Wei's shop that bronze-making had been one of Guangzhou's important industries for centuries. Bronze Ware can be dated back to the Qing Dynasty, a period of prosperity, especially in Jiangsu and Zhejiang province.
At that time, over 2,000 bronze workers had stores in Xi Guan. But of that once flourishing industry, only one is left today. In 1958, China nationalized many industries, leading to the closure of many bronze ware shops. They were mostly located in Xiguan, around Daxin Road and Tiancheng Road and it took 40 years for Mr Su to open his shop once again.
City-level Intangible Cultural Heritage
Today, Guangzhou has put "Xiguan Bronze Ware" on the second list of City-level Intangible Cultural Heritage. But Mr Su didn't need this protection to see his business flourish once again. He told us: "We are selling 'handicrafts' and therefore our products are sold at a high price. What's more, good bronze workers are hard to find and usually expensive, often earning over 10,000RMB per month."
High-Priced Bronze Wares
Bronze teapot: 480RMB
Brass bowl: 130RMB
Add: No.143, Enning Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou
Bus: No.2/ 3/ 82
Metro: Changshou Road Station
(By Liu Jia and David Keyton)
