Rebirth of an old Chinese craft

Wu Laojiu drills a hole into porcelain to be repaired. [Photo/CFP]

Porcelain restoration, or Ju Ci, is an old and demanding Chinese craft first seen in Along the River During the Qingming Festival, a famous painting by Song Dynasty artist Zhang Zeduan (1085–1145) depicting daily life and the landscape of the dynasty's capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng.

It is a big test of a craftsman's ability as the job demands 24 processes and 136 skills. A craftsman first uses a diamond to drill the broken porcelain and then slowly repair it.

Fearing the art may be lost to the world, Wu Laojiu, a 32-year-old man from Dehua, Fujian province, has learnt and practiced, breathing new life into an old skill.