On June 4, 2025, a senior delegation from the Italian Innovation Center was invited to visit Suzhou, a historic and cultural city, making a special trip to pay a visit and tour the workshop of Mr. Chen Qiaosheng, a national master of arts and crafts renowned as the "First Person of Chinese Bronze Incense Burners". The exchange aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the essence of China's intangible cultural heritage—the traditional bronze incense burner casting technique—and its inheritance and development in the contemporary era.

Mr. Chen Qiaosheng was born in Jiangsu and is the third-generation inheritor of the Chen family's bronze incense burner craftsmanship. Since the 1970s, he has dedicated himself to reviving the craftsmanship of making Xuande incense burners from the Ming and Qing dynasties. In 2010, Chen Qiaosheng founded the Chen Qiaosheng Incense Burner Culture and Art Museum in Xiangcheng, Suzhou. In 2018, he was awarded the honorary title of "Outstanding Contribution Artist," and later was conferred the title of "Inheritor of the Ancient Rhyme Bronze Incense Burner Craftsmanship of China's Intangible Cultural Heritage."

Chen Qiaosheng's 仿古 (仿古，antique-style) Xuande incense burner works have been renowned in China's bronze incense burner circle and among cultural relic collectors at home and abroad since the 1980s. Most of his antique-style bronze incense burners created in the 1980s were acquired at high prices by Taiwanese collectors at that time and circulated in the cultural relic market of Taiwan. After seeing Chen Qiaosheng's bronze incense burner works, Mr. Ma Weidu, a collector from the Chinese mainland, highly praised: "In ancient times, there were Xuande incense burners; today, there are Qiaosheng incense burners."

The "Qiaosheng Incense Burners" made by Master Chen Qiaosheng feature simple and ancient shapes, exquisite craftsmanship, mellow and harmonious colors, full of vitality, and restrained treasure light. They are indistinguishable from the Xuande incense burners of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Under the personal explanation and demonstration of Master Chen Qiaosheng, members of the delegation were able to observe up close and deeply appreciate the extraordinary charm and profound inheritance of the ancient craft of bronze incense burner casting. For decades, Master Chen has adhered to the essence of ancient techniques, with his core craftsmanship strictly following the time-honored Cast-in-wax Process. On this basis, he has ingeniously integrated innovative design concepts that align with modern aesthetics.

Each meticulously crafted bronze incense burner requires dozens of complex and rigorous procedures to complete, including mold shaping, shell making, wax loss, casting, polishing, fine trimming, and coloration (shell treatment). It is this ultimate pursuit of traditional craftsmanship and inclusive exploration of innovation that enables Chen's bronze incense burners to carry a thousand years of ancient charm while radiating a new posture of the era.

What is particularly admirable is the craftsmanship 接力 (relay) and unremitting perseverance of the Chen family for generations. From the dedicated study and pursuit of perfection in craftsmanship to the widespread dissemination and value promotion of culture, the Chen family has always been committed to promoting the living inheritance and sustainable development of this ancient craft in contemporary society.

Master Chen Qiaosheng and his inheritors are not only highly skilled craftsmen but also guardians and disseminators of excellent traditional Chinese culture. Each bronze incense burner produced by their workshop goes beyond the category of practical utensils, becoming a work of art and a footnote of the era that condenses the spirit of craftsmanship, carries historical memories, and demonstrates cultural confidence.

Representatives from the Italian Innovation Center spoke highly of Master Chen Qiaosheng's exquisite craftsmanship, perseverance, and remarkable achievements in modernizing traditional crafts. The two sides held constructive discussions on topics such as protection of traditional crafts, paths for craftsmanship innovation, excavation of cultural values, and international exchange and cooperation. This exchange has laid a solid foundation for promoting mutual learning and deepened cooperation between China and Italy in the fields of cultural and creative industries and traditional handicrafts.