Living Masters

Mei Lanfang was the most famous Peking Opera performer of the 20th century, renowned for his female lead (dan) roles. He revolutionized Peking Opera by combining traditional techniques with innovative...

Chen Wangting was a 17th-century Ming Dynasty military officer from Chenjiagou, Henan Province, credited as the founder of Taijiquan. Drawing from his martial arts training, Taoist philosophy, and tra...

Hou Baolin was the most influential cross-talk (xiangsheng) master of the 20th century, elevating the folk comedic form to a respected performing art. Renowned for his sharp wit, linguistic precision,...

Zheng Duojin is a 6th-generation master of wooden arch bridge construction in Fujian Province. Born into a family of bridge builders, he began learning the craft at age 16 from his father. Over six de...

Li Xiangting is one of China's most renowned guqin masters and a professor at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. A student of the legendary guqin player Guan Pinghu, Li has dedicated his li...

Mei Baojiu was the son of Mei Lanfang and the primary heir of the Mei School of Peking Opera. Born into the Mei family, he dedicated his life to preserving and transmitting his father's artistic legac...

Zhang Jun is a contemporary Kunqu Opera master and one of its most innovative ambassadors. A student of the legendary Kunqu artist Cai Zhengren, Zhang has performed leading roles in classics like "The...

Cai Xiaoming is a master of Shu embroidery from Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Learning from her grandmother at age 12, she has spent over 50 years perfecting the art of single-sided and double-sided embr...

Xu Chaoyun is a master celadon artisan from Longquan, Zhejiang Province. He spent decades researching and reviving the ancient "plum green" and "powder green" glazes that made Longquan celadon famous ...

Wen Shizhen is a senior practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbal pharmacology in Beijing. A descendant of a lineage of TCM doctors spanning seven generations, he specializes in herbal f...

Yu Shui is a master kite maker from Weifang, Shandong Province — the "Kite Capital of the World." Born into a kite-making family, he has preserved traditional techniques of bamboo frame bending, silk ...

Zhu Chenhao is a master of Chinese seal engraving (zhuanke) from Shanghai. He studied the ancient script styles of oracle bone, bronze, and seal scripts for decades before developing his distinctive c...

Zhou Jinsong is a master weaver of Nanjing Yunjin brocade, working at the Nanjing Yunjin Research Institute. He began his apprenticeship at age 18 and has spent over 40 years mastering the complex tec...

Ji Yun is a paper-cut artist from Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, renowned for her delicate "needle-pierced" paper-cut style. Unlike the bold cuts of northern China, Yangzhou style emphasizes intricate de...

Wang Yuanqi is a Nanyin musician from Quanzhou, Fujian Province, specializing in the pipa and dongxiao. He leads the Quanzhou Nanyin Ensemble and has performed internationally to introduce this ancien...