HeritageFour Generations
Tianshui Wenyuan Classical Woodcraft Co., Ltd. was established in 2014, specializing in ancient architecture restoration and construction. Founded by provincial intangible heritage inheritor Dong Xiaoquan, the company has a team of 70-100 professional craftsmen, serving Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and Xinjiang provinces. Over four decades, we have completed more than 160 restoration and construction projects, including major heritage sites such as Maiji Mountain Grottoes Pagoda, Bingling Temple, and Tianshui City God Temple.
"Live by skill, work by conscience"
Born into a four-generation family of carpenters, he has been engaged in traditional woodcraft since his ancestors. At 14, he apprenticed under his father to learn ancient architectural construction. By 17, he independently undertook projects, inheriting and developing century-old family craftsmanship.
Six Masteries
Preserving Millennium Techniques
Architectural Design
Proficient in various roof styles: hip roof, gable-and-hip roof, flush gable roof, curved roof, and pyramidal roof
Dougong Crafting
Complex mortise-and-tenon structures with precise beam-column joints
Wood Carving
Deep carving, relief carving, openwork carving, suspended carving, and micro carving
Brick Carving
Flat relief, semi-circular relief, high relief, and openwork carving
Painted Decoration
Plaster molding and gold powder decoration, bringing paintings to life
Qinzhou Patterns
Traditional Qinzhou patterns including hui-yun and juan-cao designs
160+ Projects
Spanning Four Provinces
Eternal Flame
Master-Apprentice Legacy
Master-Apprentice + Project-based, Contract employment + On-site practice + Hands-on teaching
Chronicles
Marks of Time, Step by Step
Career Turning Point
Participated in Lanzhou Baita Mountain antique street construction, learning modern antique architecture from ground up
Rising Star
Gained recognition for precisely relocating Ji General Memorial Archway, earned opportunity to restore Maiji Mountain Grottoes Pagoda
Professional Certification
Joined Gansu Arts and Crafts Association, obtained Intermediate Ancient Architecture Artist qualification
Baihua Award
Designed and built Panlongshan Theater in Xihe County, won Second Prize at 12th Gansu Arts and Crafts Baihua Award
Company Founded
Established Tianshui Wenyuan Classical Woodcraft Co., Ltd., implementing 'Master-Apprentice + Project-based' training model
Innovative Entrepreneur
Awarded 'China Times Innovative Entrepreneur' at 7th China Times Style Award
Multiple Honors
Received 'Qinzhou Craftsman', 'Tianshui Craftsman', and 'Chinese Folk Arts and Crafts Master' titles
District-level Inheritor
Recognized as Qinzhou District Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Inheritor
City-level Inheritor
Recognized as Tianshui City Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Inheritor
Local Talent
Selected as Tianshui City Local Talent (one of 124)
Village Craftsman Master
Awarded Gansu Province Village Craftsman Master title
Provincial Inheritor
Recognized as Gansu Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor, selected as one of China's first National Village Craftsman Masters
Voices of Wenyuan
"Every inch of wood holds an endless story"
Youth in Sawdust
"On Dong Xiaoquan's desk, dozens of carving knives, chisels, and files are arranged in order, their edges shining with a warm luster honed over the years..."
In his childhood memories, what attracted him most was not chasing and playing in the fields, but his father's pile of differently shaped tools. Planes, chisels, ink fountains... in his eyes, these were keys to a magical world.
Craftsman's Hands
"Years have grayed his temples, calluses cover his hands, and sawdust in his fingernails is washed and accumulated again, but light always shines in Dong Xiaoquan's eyes."
The reporter saw Dong Xiaoquan's hands cleaning the workbench—large and deformed knuckles, sawdust embedded in the fingernails that couldn't be washed away, calluses and wrinkles on the palms as deep as the furrows of tree bark.
Understanding Wood
"Ancient architectural construction is like learning to speak with old wood, both preserving the millennium-old wisdom and making the wood keep up with the new modern rhythm."
In 2003, at the construction site of the Lanzhou Baita Mountain antique street, Dong Xiaoquan started as a laborer and step by step mastered the key connections between traditional woodcraft and modern construction.
Passing the Torch
"Dong Xiaoquan broke the traditional shackles... and built a professional team of nearly 100 people. As the fourth generation inheritor, I must pass this craft down to the children."
The difficulty of inheriting ancient architecture repair skills was once a pain point. He formed a professional team of nearly 100 people through "contract employment + on-site practice + hands-on teaching", cultivating 76 technical backbones.
Construction Rules
"Furniture features mortise and tenon structure, which is delicate work. Generally, one cannot do it without ten years of effort. I can train five or six apprentices a year."
Dong Xiaoquan has deeply cultivated the field of ancient architecture repair, crafting over 160 ancient buildings. From Fuxi Temple to Maijishan Pagoda, every mortise and tenon and every stroke of color painting embodies reverence for traditional construction rules.
Let Heritage Last Forever
Establish a training base and ancient architecture exhibition center in the Classical Woodcraft Cultural Park