Xiao Gang
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Xiao Gang, Male, Han, from Shuozhoushishuocheng, Shanxi, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Yintongqizhizuojiliujinjiyi (Ⅷ-196). The tradition is documented in Shuozhoushishuocheng, Shanxi. Within the regional tradition and school record of Yintongqizhizuojiliujinjiyi in Shuozhoushishuocheng, Shanxi: Shuozhou traditional gilding takes Shuocheng District as its transmission center and branches out along trade and transport routes: southward into Wutai Mountain in Xinzhou, northward via Youyu Shahukou to Hohhot, and eastward to Zhangjiakou in Hebei. Shuozhou is located in the semi-arid grassland belt of northern Shanxi, with convenient railways and highways and easy flow of copper materials and passengers, forming the conditions for this craft to diffuse outward. Shuozhou gilding can be traced back to the Qing dynasty. Xiao Qi, born during the Xianfeng reign, completed his apprenticeship in Beijing, returned to Huairen County in Shuozhou to take jobs and open a shop, and made a living processing gold and silver jewelry and making gilded bronze Buddha statues; in his later years his fame spread across the Shuozhou-Tong area. Thereafter it was transmitted along two parallel lines—family and master-apprentice—and has now reached the sixth generation.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Xiao Gang is anchored in the documented technical standards of Yintongqizhizuojiliujinjiyi in Shuozhoushishuocheng, Shanxi. Within the documented technical tradition of Yintongqizhizuojiliujinjiyi in Shuozhoushishuocheng, Shanxi: The Shuozhou traditional gilding craft is a traditional copper-ware making technique mainly distributed in Shanxi Province; its central transmission area is Shuocheng District, Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province, and with historical development it gradually spread southward to the Wutai Mountain area of Xinzhou, northward via Youyu Shahukou to Hohhot in Inner Mongolia, and eastward to Zhangjiakou in Hebei. The Shuozhou traditional gilding craft mainly makes gilded bronze Buddha statues, including mainly three steps: first, gold and mercury are combined at high temperature into a gold-mercury amalgam (gold paste); then it is applied to the surface of bronze or silver ware and baked over charcoal fire, thereby evaporating the mercury in the gold-mercury amalgam (gold paste) on the surface of the object. Repeating the above three steps two to three times, the gold will firmly adhere to the surface of the object and not easily fall off, forming a glittering gilded object. Bronze ware treated with gilding is dazzling and shows a rich and magnificent aura. The gilding craft is a traditional craft form summarized and created by the working people of ancient China in production labor, and China is also the country that first used this technique in the world. The Shuozhou traditional gilding craft can be traced back to the Qing dynasty. Xiao Qi, born during the Xianfeng reign, after completing his apprenticeship in Beijing returned to Huairen County, Shuozhou City, to take jobs and open a shop, mainly making a living processing gold and silver jewelry and making gilded bronze Buddha statues, and in his later years his fame spread across the Shuozhou-Tong area. This craft has a positive driving role in promoting fine traditional Chinese culture, the craftsman spirit, and national wisdom. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Mixing the gold amalgam": Gold and mercury are heated into an amalgam, the paste-like gold mud that can be laid thinly over the surface. "Applying and firing over charcoal": The amalgam is painted onto the bronze or silver and fired over charcoal so that the mercury boils away and the gold remains. "Two or three repeat applications": Repeating the sequence two or three times fixes the gold to the surface, leaving the bronze dazzling. "Making gilded bronze Buddhas": The craft is chiefly applied to gilded bronze statues, which are cast and finished before the gold is laid on coat by coat.
Mixing the gold amalgam
Gold and mercury are heated into an amalgam, the paste-like gold mud that can be laid thinly over the surface.
Applying and firing over charcoal
The amalgam is painted onto the bronze or silver and fired over charcoal so that the mercury boils away and the gold remains.
Two or three repeat applications
Repeating the sequence two or three times fixes the gold to the surface, leaving the bronze dazzling.
Making gilded bronze Buddhas
The craft is chiefly applied to gilded bronze statues, which are cast and finished before the gold is laid on coat by coat.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Xiao Gang was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Yintongqizhizuojiliujinjiyi, with Shuozhoushishuocheng, Shanxi as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Yintongqizhizuojiliujinjiyi in Shuozhoushishuocheng, Shanxi: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Shuozhoushishuocheng, Shanxi as its declared area, and Shuozhou Shuocheng District Liujingongyipinjingxiao Ministry 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
Shuozhou gilding can be traced back to the Qing dynasty. Xiao Qi, born during the Xianfeng reign, completed his apprenticeship in Beijing, returned to Huairen County in Shuozhou to take jobs and open a shop, and made a living processing gold and silver jewelry and making gilded bronze Buddha statues; in his later years his fame spread across the Shuozhou-Tong area. Thereafter it was transmitted along two parallel lines—family and master-apprentice—and has now reached the sixth generation.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| He Man | Huangzhong, Qinghai | 04-1925 | Other regional school |
| Batutaogao | Bayannaoershiwulatezhongqi, Inner Mongolia | — | Other regional school |
| Xiao Gang | Shuozhoushishuocheng, Shanxi | — | 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。