Cai Chaorong
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Cai Chaorong, Male, Han, from Xiamen, Fujian, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Xiamen Qixiandiaojiyi (Ⅷ-55). The tradition is documented in Xiamen, Fujian. Within the regional tradition and school record of Xiamen Qixiandiaojiyi in Xiamen, Fujian: The Xiamen lacquer thread sculpture technique is centered on Xiamen, Fujian, has passed through thirteen generations of the Cai family, and extends to Quanzhou, Putian and other parts of southern Fujian; the technique has been transmitted in Xiamen for more than three hundred years, and is a surviving lineage of ancient Buddhist statue sculpture art, arising under the inspiration of the line-carving techniques of the Song and Yuan dynasties, in particular powdered-line and clay-line sculpture. The Xiamen Weiyi Lacquer Thread Sculpture Art Co., Ltd. is the project's protecting unit. It took shape in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties and gradually matured by the late Qing; its development in the Xiamen area was inseparable from the flourishing of folk religion and the prosperity of the Buddhist and deity statue sculpture trade.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Cai Chaorong is anchored in the documented technical standards of Xiamen Qixiandiaojiyi in Xiamen, Fujian. Within the documented technical tradition of Xiamen Qixiandiaojiyi in Xiamen, Fujian: Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Sculpture, ground, line and gilding": Four stages, of which the first is the design in clay and the second — the laying of the lacquer lines — is where the special beauty lies. "Thirteen Cai generations": Kept in one family for three hundred years and thirteen generations, the craft kept the standards of temple statuary rather than trade production. "From Song-Yuan line carving": Descended from Buddhist statuary and from Song and Yuan line carving, the lacquer lines are built from hair-fine powder-and-lacquer rods dried before use.
Sculpture, ground, line and gilding
Four stages, of which the first is the design in clay and the second — the laying of the lacquer lines — is where the special beauty lies.
Thirteen Cai generations
Kept in one family for three hundred years and thirteen generations, the craft kept the standards of temple statuary rather than trade production.
From Song-Yuan line carving
Descended from Buddhist statuary and from Song and Yuan line carving, the lacquer lines are built from hair-fine powder-and-lacquer rods dried before use.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Cai Chaorong was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Xiamen Qixiandiaojiyi, with Xiamen, Fujian as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Xiamen Qixiandiaojiyi in Xiamen, Fujian: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2006 (batch 1), with Xiamen, Fujian as its declared area, and Xiamen Weiyiqixiandiao Art 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
It took shape in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties and gradually matured by the late Qing; its development in the Xiamen area was inseparable from the flourishing of folk religion and the prosperity of the Buddhist and deity statue sculpture trade.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cai Shuikuang | Xiamen, Fujian | 01-0171 | Same declared area |
| Cai Chaorong | Xiamen, Fujian | — | 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。