Yunnan Zhaotong: a City of Arts on Southern Silk Road

Subject to location and available resources, the cultural industry on the characteristic Zhaotong is in the process of development, according to Chuncheng Evening News.

Zhaotong, located in the northeast corner of Yunnan province, has been an important thoroughfare for culture from the central plains to enter Yunnan. In addition, Zhaotong is one of the three birthplaces of early Yunnan culture and is a major city on the Silk Road.

The purple clay teapots from Zhaotong are unique and welcomed. Early this century, silver sand sedimentary rocks with a history of more than 400 million years were found in Zhaotong. After their discovery, local residents started to use them to make pots. The purple clay teapots produced in Zhaotong have now become more and more popular among pottery collectors and tea lovers.

The handmade Zhaotong wool carpet also has a long history. In the 1980s, wool carpets were exported to different countries and regions including Japan and Korea. Due to the complicated nature of producing the carpets by hand, only about 3,000 square meters of carpet are produced in Zhaotong every year.

Zhaotong is also famous for its Jinsha rare stone. The Jinsha River in Zhaotong is about 458 kilometers long and containins more than 100 species of rare stones. According to statistics, there are more than 1,000 rare stone businesses operating in Zhaoting households with an annual output value of more than 90 million yuan ($14.54 million).

Crystal products produced in Zhaotong have a good reputation in China. During the last China-South Asia Expo, Zhaotong's Zhengxiong county government signed a contract with the Zhejiang Tiefeng Crystal Company to construct the Zhengxiong Crystal Cultural Park. The cultural park project will cover an area of 6.67 hectares and will receive an investment of 550 million yuan ($88.77 million). According to statistics, the annual production value of Zhaotong's crystal industry is nearly 1 billion yuan.

Since ancient times, the inhabitants living around Suijiang River have used bamboo to make products for production and life. The process of making a successful bamboo weaving product requires more than 10 steps, with each step requiring a great deal of effort and attention. Bamboo weaving art works produced and exhibited in Suijiang have been welcomed by collectors from China and abroad.

Wumeng Mountain in Yunnan is home to an abundance of wood resources, including the rare silk wood. Artists from Zhaotong's Yanjin county combine wood carvings with traditional Chinese painting techniques to improve the visual effect and decorative effect.