Since it was created in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, Qiwan Golden Dragon has been passed down by generations of craftsmen.

The Qiwan Golden Dragon Making Techniques was identified as one of the 4th Zhongshan municipal intangible cultural heritage projects in November 2012, and will apply for Guangdong provincial intangible cultural heritage projects this year. At present, Yang Guoming, the inheritor  of Qiwan Golden Dragon, and his family members are working on a brand-new golden dragon, which is expected to be completed by the end of January.

The 69-year-old is a native of Qiwan Village. His family enjoys a profound artistic foundation. Yang Jian'an, Yang Guoming's grandfather, was previously a master in making the dragon head in the village. When it comes to Yang Youzhao, Yang Guoming's father, and Yang Youping, Yang Guoming's uncle, both seemed to inherit brilliant crafting skills from Yang Jian'an.

Yang Guoming has two sons, Yang Daqi and Yang Dahua, who majored in fine arts in their universities. They both have used their spare time to be important helpers with the production of the Golden Dragon. The magnificent dragon quilt and dragon skirt were sewn by Yang Guoming's wife, Sun Suna, and his sisters, Yang Fengqun and Yang Yuqun.

The Qiwan golden dragon being made has 23 sections including the dragon head, the body and claws, with a total length of 63 meters. "It takes at least 3 months to make a golden dragon. We sew every dragon scale one by one so as to retain the key features of the Qiwan Golden Dragon, " said Yang Guoming.

Yang Guoming and his son Yang Dahua study the production of golden dragon.

Yang Guoming draws a 1:1 dragon head sample on the ground.

Yang Guoming explains to the primary school students the skills of golden dragon making.

Yang Guoming especially draws a hand-painted book about the making of golden dragons.

Yang Guoming's little granddaughter has always been fond of the golden dragons he makes.

Yang Guoming makes the skeleton of the golden dragon.

Yang Guoming's Wife Sun Suna and sister Yang Yuqun make the dragon skirt.

Sun Suna sews bells under the dragon skirt.

Yang Yuqun tidies up the dragon skirt. [Photos by Yu Zhaoyu]