Zhai Yuliang becomes extra busy whenever the holidays are around the corner. The Beijinger, in his 60s, has just finished a pair of palace lanterns for a courtyard home in the capital.
"The owner wants every part of them to be done in the old-fashioned way, so that they will fit perfectly with the grand style of their historical house." says Zhai, who has practiced the craft for more than four decades. One of the most popular styles, which is also Zhai's favorite, is the double-layered octagonal(八角形的) palace lantern. It's full of Chinese elements, and features dragon heads and many other specific patterns.
However, he stresses the essential elements to be classified as pa lace lanterns ——hand-painted scenes and Chinese knots as decoration. Most importantly, they must be created using the specific techniques, which require over 100 steps.
To make a palace lantern, a single craftsman had to do everything from the woodwork to the painting. "It takes months to make a palace lantern,"Zhai says. "It requires the skills of a woodworker, the knowledge of a mechanic, an appreciation of classical architecture, poetry, painting and an additional talent for mortise-and-tenon joints(榫卯) by hand before they can create the right carvings and layer combinations.
Zhai has received many invitations from communities and institutes to show the charm of palace lanterns. He particularly enjoys hosting workshops where he teaches people to make lanterns themselves. He is enchanted to see the smiles of children and the expressions of adults when they complete their works under his guidance.
He believes his lifelong devotion to this craft has been worthwhile. His lanterns can be seen in such locations as the Tian' anmen Square and many overseas sites that promote friendship with China. "Wherever you are, when you see a pa lace lantern, you know there's a connect ion to China,"Zhai says.
