Master of Zhangshu TCM works to pass on legacy

Each morning, the soft sound of slicing fills the air at a processing workshop in Zhangshu, Jiangxi province.

Yuan Xiaoping, 69, stands by his workbench, skillfully slicing white peony root into translucent pieces. The technique may seem effortless, but it is the result of more than 50 years of disciplined practice.

Yuan is a nationally recognized inheritor of the Zhangshu traditional Chinese medicine processing technique, a form of craftsmanship designated as national intangible cultural heritage in 2018.