Craftsman sets the tone in revival of village tradition

To ease the workload and help improve production efficiency, as well as to attract more young people to the centuries-old trade, Yan has done his best to modernize the manufacturing process.

For instance, he has transformed the open furnace into a closed one so as to keep the temperature at a constant 700 C, and introduced advanced polishing equipment and pneumatic hammers into the production process.

With the improvements that Yan made, the daily output of a skilled worker - in terms of the total weight of the instruments made in a day - rose from 2 kilograms to 15. The products have also become more durable due to the advanced manufacturing processes.

Despite the improvements, the final step of setting the instrument's tone is still only undertaken by experienced craftsmen. It is also the most difficult skill to pass on to others.

In 2005, Yan merged nine workshops in the village and founded a company that now produces more than 150 kinds of brass instruments for customers across the country.

The last craftsman from the old generation in the county is now in his 80s, and lives in Yan's village. "If there is no fresh blood flowing in, the craftsmanship will soon be lost," Yan said.

Yan has about 20 apprentices and also organizes training classes for young people to attract them to the trade, through which more than 50 people have come to learn the techniques in his company since 2006.

Local government departments are also working with him to record the techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation through oral instruction.

Contact the writers at liyang@chinadaily.com.cn