A young artisan works on a piece of cloisonne enamel at the opening of Eight Marvelous Handicrafts of Beijing. The exhibition that runs through Nov 9 showcases the best of the city's traditional craftsmanship. WANG KAIHAO/CHINA DAILY

"If people want to be handicraft masters, they must try to excel in their work and create something new on the basis of older models," Wang says.

Inheriting craftsmanship doesn't mean stubbornly sticking to old ways, he says. And, in some cases, a change of course is inevitable. For instance, ivory carvers have to switch to other fields because elephants should not be hunted.

"Since the Beijing handicrafts are rooted in daily life, they can also gradually evolve with changes in people's aesthetic tastes, but the traditional skills need to be maintained."

Nevertheless, some practical problems persist.

"Though an exquisite article will fetch a good price, the process of making it consumes both time and energy," Hou says.

"When making a complicated item, we have to stay fully focused for months or even years, leaving no room to do anything else. That is perhaps something that discourages young people from entering the industry."

Wang also points to economic concerns among inheritors.

"Someone who gets distracted by the market can't be a master," he says. "We're still looking to find a balance, but education rather than money is the key to letting tradition continue."

Contact the writer at wangkaihao@chinadaily.com.cn