The China Pavilion at the ongoing London Craft Week 2026 presented traditional Chinese crafts infused with contemporary design and integrated with other techniques.

From goldsmithing to embroidery, craftsmen explored innovative presentations of traditional arts at the annual event which brings together the best of British and international creativity.

Hong Kong-based goldsmith Anson Lai demonstrated the art of gilding to visitors in London. Gold leaf has long been used in China in temples and on Buddha statues. Now working in collaboration with a leading gilder, he is using the gold as a decorative art form for the 3D-printed flowers he designed.

"I think it's a really transformative journey for me because I learned and I know about the history and the culture of the gilding in Hong Kong. So we collaborate and we did it together," said Lai.

Running from May 11 to 17, London Craft Week is an annual city-wide festival celebrating exceptional craftsmanship across a wide range of disciplines from around the world.

China is a regular contributor and this year's theme, curated by Hong Kong-based charity Crafts on Peel, is about reimagining ancestral Chinese crafts. Scholarships are provided to up and coming designers to collaborate with some of China's most skilled conventional craftsmen.

"We believe it is so important in the modern days to keep these traditional artistry alive. So by simply preserving it, it may not work this way. So we believe by reinterpreting and also perpetuating through exchange of techniques, that will be one of the best way to keep it alive," said Penelope Luk, creative director of Crafts on Peel.

The exhibition also collaborated with modern artists to turn Guangzhou embroidery, which was popular in England 600 years ago, into sculptures. For instance, the work of a master embroiderer has been integrated into a large scale woven installation, giving depth and texture.

"So important and crucial to keep traditional work alive, because most of the time in Chinese culture, a lot of the traditional work has been seen as souvenirs' trade," said Elaine Yan Ling Ng, a contemporary textile designer.

The organizers hope that such collaborations will help keep heritage crafts alive for generations to come.

"In a world where we're ever increasingly digital, this is an interesting blend between the digital arts, because precision is required in order to be able to get to a finished shape, and taking the traditional skill sets, which are sort of disappearing, really, in this age of sort of mass automation," said a visitor.

"The idea of taking traditional craft and mixing modern materials, or maybe even techniques with it - I like that idea. I think that's great. So very original," said another.