Qixian's glassware heralds global presence

Traditional industry's success stems both from skilled craftsmanship and advancements in automated production

Three hundred years ago, a group of local merchants from North China's Shanxi province forged an ancient tea road — a daring quest that would span over 10,000 kilometers across the vast Eurasian continent. Their mission? To take the exquisite flavors of Chinese tea to the world. Unbeknownst to them, their footsteps also retraced the secrets of a foreign craft.

The intricate artistry of the glassware they brought back from distant lands found a fertile ground in Shanxi's Qixian county, where it took root, flourished and wove its own narrative that continues to unfold to this very day.

There are 53 glassware production companies in Qixian, making over 8,000 product varieties such as tea sets, candlesticks, vases and lamps, said Zhang Fushuan, director of the county's transformation and reform promotion center.