London Craft Week kicks off with Chinese craftsmanship under spotlight

Axin and his mother were not the only participants who made adaptations to traditional handicrafts. At the "Nice to Meet Loong" exhibition, creative cultural products and designer toys inspired by Chinese handicrafts gave visitors hands-on experience of ancient techniques such as mortise-and-tenon joints.

"The skills, material exploration and often spectacular results exhibited invited the audience to engage with peoples and communities far from London," said Simon Fraser, the course leader for MA Design Ceramics Furniture Jewellery at Central Saint Martins, a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, after visiting the exhibition.

"By maintaining traditional knowledge in contemporary culture, we allow cultural values to transcend time," he said.

During the craft week, hundreds of exhibits and workshops were expected to showcase various aspects of Chinese craftsmanship, including porcelain, silverware, lacquerware, bamboo weaving, clothing and jewelry from ethnic minority groups, as well as folk music Nanyin from southeastern China's Fujian province.