Our Story: A Family Lacquer Workshop in Xianyou, Fujian
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THE CROSSROADS
A decade ago, we witnessed a fundamental shift. Rapid development transformed the world overnight. We watched society trade thousands of years of rich Chinese history for the immediate convenience of mass production. A profound disconnect took hold. Modern culture actively forgot the patience, the depth, and the extreme dedication required to create true artisanal goods. We built HFDlacquerware to bridge this exact gap. We set out to rescue the fading soul of our heritage and bring it directly into the modern era.
THE ROAD TO FUJIAN
Our hometown has its own lacquer tradition, but our path began with wood. We first fell in love with Ming-style furniture, with its clean lines and honest joinery, and began by making it ourselves. Lacquer came next, growing naturally out of that work: the same wooden forms became the foundation for our lacquerware.
That is what brought us to Xianyou, Fujian, a town known across China for its Ming and Qing style classical furniture and fine woodwork, and for the quality of the wood we wanted to work with. Our family workshop is here. For almost ten years, our family, siblings working side by side, has made every piece by hand, using the traditional tools and methods of Chinese lacquer craft.
THE UNCOMPROMISING SOURCING
Raw lacquer is the sap of the lacquer tree. Harvesters cut a small opening in the bark with a curved tapping knife and collect the sap by hand. They work before sunrise or after sunset, because strong sun and rain spoil the quality of the sap. Freshly tapped, it carries a faint scent of green apples.
Lacquer harvesting is a specialized craft of its own, so we source our raw lacquer from a long-term, trusted supplier. The lacquer we use contains 75 percent urushiol, which allows it to cure hard, clear, and durable. Our own work begins where theirs ends: the lacquering itself.
THE FINAL COMMITMENT
We started HFDlacquerware (禾丰鼎) with one purpose: to keep the art of Chinese raw lacquer alive. While the modern world moves endlessly forward, we refuse to let thousands of years of cultural history simply disappear. Every piece we make is a living piece of Chinese lacquer art, placed directly into your hands.