Lin Weixing was crafting a silver bar with a burin and a small hammer to make a silver bracelet at his shop on a busy street in Fuzhou, Fujian province. The tap-tap-tapping sound attracted tourists from time to time.

Over time, the pattern on the bar became clearer. The next step is polishing, Lin said.

Lin is a fifth-generation inheritor of the She ethic group’s silver crafting technique, a 200-year-old art and a national intangible cultural heritage.

The She people admire silver and they use it in connection with major events such as childbirth, weddings, funerals and folk festivals, as well as in their daily lives.

On the second floor of his shop, an exquisite silver head ornament catches the eye of many customers. Lin made it in 2017. Another work, a silver pen container is displayed. But Lin said it was a “failing commodity”.

He hoped to sell the products, but the cost of making them continues to rise. Lin wants to keep them affordable.

“I hope my work will relate to people and be used in life, not just showcased on shelves,” he said.

Lin’s products are sold nationwide and to Southeast Asian markets both offline and via e-commerce. During the Qixi Festival, or Chinese Valentine’s Day, which fell on Aug 14 this year, more than 10,000 silver bracelets were sold for about 3 million yuan ($460,000).

“As interest in traditional Chinese culture rises among youngsters, the value of intangible cultural heritage continues to grow,” Lin said, adding that innovating personalized, customized products is a good direction for the commercialization of traditional handicrafts.