Tradition meets modernity

When I entered one of the most influential gold making companies in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, the first thing that came into view was a large shrine of Guan Yu — the god of brotherhood, warriors and fortune.

Both capital and labor-intensive, gold making is generally considered a traditional industry. Its survival in Shenzhen contrasts with the city’s modern image, as the southern high-tech hub is known for specializing in innovation.

The industry preserves an essence of its traditional brotherhood culture — just like everything I had seen in old movies made in neighboring Hong Kong.

“We (people in the industry) are brothers and we have each other’s backs,” said a senior executive of a gold company, while downing Chinese liquor at the dinner table. “Let me put it this way: If you borrow money from your peers and you flee, ok. But when you want to come back to this area, you have to pay your debt and buy everyone a nice round of drinks. We are still brothers. There’s no grudge.” That’s how old school it can be. Taken at face value, it is easy for people to overlook the fact that the mainland’s private gold industry is very young, at a mere 20 years, and so deserves its place in the tech hub.

“Young people talk about 3D printing, right?” said Zhou Taolin, the gray-haired founder of one of China’s biggest and earliest gold makers, Batar Group. “Let me tell you, to make the gold materials that can be used in 3D printing, the only way is to gasify the gold and let it cool in an absolute zero gravity environment, so that every particle of gold is in a perfectly round shape.”

Zhou showed me a painting made using this technology. It was over 1.2 meters long and 1 meter wide, and was painted with only 1 gram of pure gold.

“People think it is a handcraft industry, old and falling behind. But look at what we do, it is all about technology,” Zhou said, while pointing out different products, from laser-engraved gold photos whose color will never fade, to a tiny but delicate gold preying mantis sculpture, which you have to view through a magnifying glass to see the details.

But, all this tech doesn’t mean the industry still has the same appeal among young people today.

When I entered a vast gold jewelry market, there were countless shining accessories lying on the counters, which made me feel like a dragon, seated on a mountain of gold.

However, it was hard to find an eye-catching piece with a fashionable design.

Industry insiders admitted this lack of innovation, and said they are investing heavily in modern designs.

I for one will keep an eye on the industry’s fascinating clashes between tradition and modernity.

XINHUA