The city of Gejiu is located in the southeast of Yunnan province. Every weekend the tin ware studio in the Tin Cultural and Creative Industrial Park is buzzing with life. Tea ceremonies, incense burning gatherings and flower arrangement events are held here, and they attract tourists and tin ware lovers from all over the country.

"The tin pots, cans, cups and bowls here are exquisite in craftsmanship. They are capable of purifying water and keeping it fresh. We love them so much," said Yang Fei, a tourist from east China's Fujian province who was impressed by his experience at the tin ware studio.

The Tin Cultural and Creative Industrial Park in Gejiu integrates a tin-smithing exhibition, production and creation of tin ware and eco-tourism. It is a national AAA-rated tourist attraction, established in 2011. Its charm also lies in the unique cultural landscapes such as the fiberglass exhibition halls, the French-style experience hall and the imitation steam locomotives.

In the heritage and demonstration centre of multicolored tin ware, an intangible cultural heritage of Yunnan province, a production line extends for dozens of meters. It showcases the processes casting, chipping, lofting, shaping, welding, polishing and cleaning, necessary for tin ware production. "This production line turns out about 10,000 pieces of tin ware every year.

Our marketing network covers Kunming, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Yiwu, Chengdu and other places," said Lai Qingguo, principal of the industrial park and a Chinese national master of arts and crafts.

"Our products are artistic as well as practical. We bring culture to life, and inject impetus for sustainable development into traditional craftsmanship," said Lai. The industrial park produces tin ware in the back, and sells it at the front. Visitors can take a tour of the production line and try out the tin ware. This model helps promote the integrated development of culture, tourism and heritage of tin-smithing.

By Zhu Hai; Editor: John Li; Online photos