Cloisonné Workshop in a Hidden Hutong Courtyard

Highlights

• Master the basics of Jingtai Blue, Beijing's 600-year-old cloisonné art
• Bend fine copper wire and fill vivid enamel glaze, guided step by step
• Learn inside a hidden century-old hutong courtyard, not a tourist replica
• Work with a local artisan in English and Chinese; no experience needed
• Take home your finished cloisonné piece, beautifully packaged for travel

Description

Step off the bustling street and through a red gate into another time. Tucked inside a hutong of Xicheng District, the 93 Courtyard Museum is a century-old, authentically preserved courtyard home with grey brick walls, carved wooden lintels, and a tranquil inner garden where time slows. For the next three hours, this courtyard becomes your studio. Here, you don't just observe Beijing's imperial cloisonné — you make it. Cloisonné, known in China as Jingtai Blue, has been crafted in Beijing for over 600 years. Born in imperial workshops and perfected during the Ming Dynasty's Jingtai era, famed for its signature deep blue glaze, it once adorned palaces and ceremonial halls alone. Today it is recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage — and in this courtyard, its secrets are passed hand to hand. Guided by a local artisan, you'll follow the journey of this meticulous craft. Choose or sketch a pattern inspired by traditional motifs: peonies for prosperity, lotuses for purity, clouds for good fortune. With fine tweezers, bend thin copper wires along your design, building the pattern cell by cell, like drawing in metal. Fill each tiny compartment with vibrant mineral glazes, layering color like a jeweler setting stones. Learn what the traditional hues symbolized and choose the palette that speaks to you. Discover how hand-placed wire and powdered minerals become a jewel-like surface through the alchemy of heat, as your artisan reveals the firing, polishing, and gilding that complete every masterwork. No experience is needed, just curiosity and open hands. Guidance is given step by step in English and Chinese, and groups stay intimate (max 4–8 people), so you'll enjoy genuine one-on-one attention while complimentary Chinese tea keeps the mood relaxed. When the afternoon ends, you'll carry more than a souvenir: a finished cloisonné artwork, packaged for travel; a skill your fingertips will remember; and a story connecting you to 600 years of Beijing craftsmanship. You're not visiting history — you're continuing it.

Includes

3-hour cloisonné workshop with private/semi-private artisan instruction (English & Chinese) All materials & tools: base, copper wire, enamel glazes Your finished cloisonné artwork to take home (beautifully packaged for travel) Complimentary traditional Chinese tea & bottled water Access to the 93 Courtyard Museum exhibition Aprons & protective table mats

Excludes

Transportation to the venue Meals and drinks (besides tea & water) Personal expenses

Important Information

• The workshop is held in a historic courtyard museum in Beijing's Xicheng District This is a hands-on experience — you actively create your own piece; it is not a demonstration Groups are kept intimate (max 4–8) for personal guidance Fine handwork is involved; children must be accompanied by an adult

Easy cancellation

Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund