GLIMPSE OF RONG BAO ZHAI, BEIJING (CHINA)

PRESERVING CHINESE ART & CRAFT FOR 350 YEARS

Collecting and preserving old art paintings is one of the many everyday things Chinese people love to do. This was part of their long ancient traditions that are kept alive today.

Many such paintings and art are held in small museums all around China, but Beijingers visit the Rong Bao Zhai. A small shop located just outside of the city’s main Central Business District (CBD) area.

For over three centuries, Rong Bao Zhai (“studio of glorious treasures”) evolved from a small shop named Songzhu Zhai (“studio of pines and bamboos”), opened in the late 17th-century Beijing by a prestigious and influential contributor to the preservation and development of Chinese arts and crafts. The brand celebrates its 350th anniversary this year.

During a recent tour of that small shop, journalists participating in the China International Press Communication Centre 2022 Fellowship, were able to see different kinds of artwork that was made during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

The small shop has displays of artwork on three different floors for tourists to visit. Rong Bao Zhai has two display floors. One is dedicated to the working area where the local employees of Rong Bao Zhai get to show visiting guests how they carve art on wood. The other floors are dedicated to items being sold to guests.

This video was compiled by NCN’s Samuel Sukhnandan.