Handmade Woks: Chinese entrepreneur revives old ways of craft

World
Europe

02:31

It's a staple of any Chinese kitchen -- the wok. The mass-produced ones are a dime a dozen. But those that are hand-made are truly special. CGTN's Frances Kuo introduces us to a man who's devoted a lifetime to the craft.

In this village in central Hubei province, life may seem to move slowly, but it's full speed ahead inside this factory. Tang Yunguo is at the helm with a pipe in his mouth -- while maneuvering a hot iron plate. He's making a wok from scratch and he's a stickler for details.

TANG YUNGUO BLACKSMITH "The edge of the wok must be round and the bottom must be level."

To achieve this, he has to heat the piece of steel at extremely high temperatures.

TANG YUNGUO BLACKSMITH "The melting process is for burning out the toxic elements, and secondly it becomes softer and easier for hammering. It is around 1,500 to 1,600 degrees centigrade."

Tang then molds it by striking it over and over again.

TANG YUNGUO BLACKSMITH "I need to hammer it tens of thousands of times. After it gets back to room temperature, it needs another 20,000 strikes."

Tang has been at it since he was 13, and he believes his woks are a world away from what machines could ever deliver.

FU LITING WOK USER "The experience is closer to my childhood memory. None of the stuff we bought when we were children was mass produced on the factory assembly lines. They were all hand-made piece by piece. So I think this pan is better."

Fu is the exact customer Tian Huan is trying to attract. He started the factory in Hubei three years ago and now owns six shops.

Tian sells 300 to 400 woks a month -- for more than 140 dollars a piece, nearly three times the price of a machine-made wok. He says his woks cater to a growing demand by China's young and affluent.

TIAN HUAN WORKSHOP OWNER "Now China is developing very fast. The material standard of living is getting higher and higher, so people have a higher need for spiritual pursuit and sentiment. I see a big opportunity there in exploring the handmade products."

So Tang Yunguo will keep hammering away, helping cement the wok's place in the Chinese kitchen. FRANCES KUO, CGTN.