Carving Out A Craft

Following three years of renova- tions， the China National Arts and Crafts Museum and China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum， the first national-level venue of its kind in the country， recently opened to the public.

With a total floor area of 91，126 square meters， the museum stands on the northern part of Beijing’s central axis. Exactly 1，298 objects are on display， 80 percent of which are making their public debut， spanning time， space and cultural craftsmanship alike.

The grand opening saw the museum divided into seven sections： arts and crafts since 1949， guqin （a seven-string traditional Chinese musical instrument）， musical instruments and scores， murals of the Mogao Grottoes， traditional Chinese operas， seal-cutting， and Chinese New Year paintings. The space further features ethnic instrument performances and hi-tech devices for visitor interaction.

Four jadeite national treasures are on display inside the Craftsmanship of the Great Nation exhibit， one of several longterm shows inaugurating the museum.

Produced by more than 40 jade carving masters in the 1980s， it took eight years to complete the four treasures， also known as the pinnacle of contemporary Chinese jade carving. BR

（Text and photos by Wei Yao）