Exhibition showcases Yi craftsmanship

Legu Chenglong says that one of the most difficult parts of making silver jewelry is that the craftsmen have to control the temperature during the silver melting process. It also takes years to perfect the skill of hammering the pieces into shape.

"If the temperature is too high, the silver cannot be shaped. When hammering the pieces, craftsmen need to control their strength since it's very easy to break them," he says. "That's why many young people today don't learn the technique — it is time-consuming and physically challenging."

Like many young people, Legu Chenglong had once hoped to get a job in a big city. He spent two years living in Chengdu, Sichuan's provincial capital, and worked a variety of odd jobs, from swimming lifeguard to food deliverer. In 2021, he decided to return to his hometown and devoted himself to silversmithing. Now, Legu Chenglong and his two elder brothers are all involved.

"In the past, silver jewelry-making techniques were only passed on to boys in the family. The technique was considered part of the family's legacy as well as the means to make a living.

"However, now my father hopes to let more people to see and learn the technique because it would die out if fewer and fewer people knew of it," says Legu Chenglong, who plans to open a museum in his hometown, introducing the Legu family tradition and their inherited knowledge of Yi silverwork.