While walking through the factory I was overcome by the level of handmade skill that goes into each and every piece regardless of style and size. The bronze artwork produced here is all handmade and skillfully crafted. There is no big assembly line or machines or computers of any sort guiding the operation. Some of the finest craftsmen of Tongling shape each bronze piece to its final form.

The finished products at the Snail Bronze Art Company in Tongling are shelved in the storeroom waiting to be shipped out to various locations throughout China on October 13, 2010.[Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

After the tour we were taken to the bronze market in the heart of Tongling. Above the entrance hangs a sign which reads "Designated Shop for Selling Tourist Commodities to Tongling." The market is a two-story complex filled with the finest bronze art work to be found anywhere in China. Store after store is filled from floor to ceiling with affordable bronze shapes unique only to China. Bronze busts of Mao Zedong, dragon figures, and monks in deep and bright bronze shades can be found throughout.

One of many shops at the Tongling bronze market displays the latest in its local bronze work on October 13, 2010.[Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]