Li Zhigang
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Li Zhigang, Male, Han, from Chongwen, Beijing, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Carved Lacquer Craftsmanship (Ⅷ-50). The tradition is documented in Chongwen, Beijing. Within the regional tradition and school record of Carved Lacquer Craftsmanship in Chongwen, Beijing: The carved lacquer craft originated in the Tang dynasty; owing to Beijing's special political, economic and cultural background, it finally settled in Beijing after development through the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. In the 1990s, because of market transition, long production cycles, large investment and changes in management systems, the carved lacquer industry declined.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Li Zhigang is anchored in the documented technical standards of Carved Lacquer Craftsmanship in Chongwen, Beijing. Within the documented technical tradition of Carved Lacquer Craftsmanship in Chongwen, Beijing: Beijing carved lacquer is a technique in which natural lacquer is applied to a body to a certain thickness, and then a knife is used to carve patterns into the built-up flat lacquer surface. Carved lacquer products are of plain antique form, exquisite ornament, lustrous color and elegant bearing, and are damp-proof, heat-resistant, acid- and alkali-resistant, and do not deform or deteriorate. It embodies the superb skill and ingenuity of China's arts and crafts masters and is a treasure of the traditional crafts of the Chinese nation. Over several centuries of development, Beijing carved lacquer has absorbed the finest achievements of carved lacquer techniques from north and south China, and is one of the outstanding representatives of Chinese lacquer art. In the 30th year of the Guangxu reign (1904), the artisans Xiao Le'an and Li Maolong opened in Beijing the first private carved lacquer workshop of the modern era, the Jiguzhai (Continuing Antiquity) workshop. After 1949, the Beijing municipal authorities gathered the Jiguzhai carved lacquer successors scattered among the people to establish the Beijing Carved Lacquer Production Cooperative, which in 1958 became the Beijing Carved Lacquer Factory, the main base for the transmission and development of Beijing carved lacquer. Beijing carved lacquer products are numerous in type and rich in subject matter; their design and creation combine carving, painting and craft in one, with a dignified and elegant artistry. It plays an irreplaceable role in raising people's aesthetic attainment in modern society and in beautifying life. The Beijing Carved Lacquer Factory exists in name only; genuinely handmade carved lacquer products are fewer and fewer, and the technical personnel of the carved lacquer trade face the harsh reality of an aging age structure with no new successors. Judging from the present situation, Beijing carved lacquer, which has continued for several centuries, is on the verge of being lost. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "A built-up ground carved with a blade": Lacquer is built up layer by layer until it can take the blade, so a large piece may take months or even a year. "Unchanging in damp and heat": Resistant to damp, heat and acid, and neither warping nor decaying, carved lacquer served the court furniture for precisely these reasons. "Alongside Su, Yangzhou and Sichuan": Beijing lacquer absorbed the traditions of other regions and, by the Qianlong and Jiaqing reigns, ranked with Su, Yangzhou and Sichuan wares as tribute.
A built-up ground carved with a blade
Lacquer is built up layer by layer until it can take the blade, so a large piece may take months or even a year.
Unchanging in damp and heat
Resistant to damp, heat and acid, and neither warping nor decaying, carved lacquer served the court furniture for precisely these reasons.
Alongside Su, Yangzhou and Sichuan
Beijing lacquer absorbed the traditions of other regions and, by the Qianlong and Jiaqing reigns, ranked with Su, Yangzhou and Sichuan wares as tribute.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Li Zhigang was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Carved Lacquer Craftsmanship, with Chongwen, Beijing as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Carved Lacquer Craftsmanship in Chongwen, Beijing: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2006 (batch 1), with Chongwen, Beijing as its declared area, and Beijing Wen Qian GangDiaoQi Art Sheji Co., Ltd. as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
The carved lacquer craft originated in the Tang dynasty; owing to Beijing's special political, economic and cultural background, it finally settled in Beijing after development through the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. In the 1990s, because of market transition, long production cycles, large investment and changes in management systems, the carved lacquer industry declined.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wen Qiangang | Chongwen, Beijing | 01-0167 | Same declared area |
| Zhang Guodong | Tianshuishiqinzhou, Gansu | 03-1323 | Other regional school |
| Yin Xiuyun | Dongcheng, Beijing | 04-1848 | Other regional school |
| He Jincheng | Tianshuishiqinzhou, Gansu | — | Other regional school |
| Li Zhigang | Chongwen, Beijing | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。