[Cultural China] The Art Nanjing Gold Foil: Forging History, Shaping Tomorrow

Nanjing's gold foil forging technique, with a history of over 1,700 years, was listed among China’s first national intangible cultural heritage items in 2006. This year, the Nanjing Gold Thread and Gold Foil Factory celebrated its 70th anniversary.

Step into the factory, artisans are busy processing gold foil. The production process here still adheres to time-honored techniques, involving twelve meticulous steps—including smelting, hammering, splitting, drying, twisting, foil-beating, finishing, and cutting. Resulting the final gold foil to be as thin as a cicada’s wing and as soft as silk.

Xia Minggong, Deputy Director of Nanjing Gold Thread and Gold Foil Factory:

The process involves more than 30,000 strikes in total, to refine the foil to perfection, achieving a thickness of just 0.1 micrometers.

The key breakthrough in this process is the black paper, which was developed by the factory independently. This innovation blends traditional intangible heritage craft with modern technology, resulting in even thinner foil and a 30% increase in production yield. The formula and craftsmanship of the black paper are now protected as a state secret.

Today, Nanjing has established itself as China’s largest gold foil production base and one of the world’s top five centers for gold foil making. It supplies 70% of the world’s and 90% of China’s annual gold foil output. From architecture and medical care to cultural industries, Nanjing-made gold foil has evolved beyond traditional applications, continually expanding the possibilities for this ancient art.