The main products in Guilin include jade and stone carvings, bamboo and wood carvings, gold and silver ornaments, artistic ceramics, landscape paintings, etc., with more than 20 categories and about 1,000 varieties.
Artistic Ceramics
Produced by three enterprises including Guilin Artistic Ceramics Factory, the annual output is millions of pieces. Recently, two production systems of artistic pottery and artistic porcelain have been formed. The product types are becoming increasingly complete and perfect. All kinds of works are characterized by novel and unique conception, vivid image, exquisite manufacturing technology, ancient and elegant color, and rich modern life interest. Dozens of varieties such as goat pot, big pipa bottle, Xiangshan pot, landscape painting bottle series, etc., have successively won awards from the Autonomous Region and the Light Industry Department, and were exhibited in France, Spain, West Germany, Japan and other countries. The products are sold to all parts of the country and dozens of countries and regions in Europe and Asia. The newly developed products - imitation ancient terracotta warriors, are exclusively sold in the United States.
Jade Carving
Guilin jade carving artworks have a long history of production. Using materials such as Luchuan stone, Dongxing stone, Suič…Šstone, Xiuyan jade, and Longsheng talc, they are crafted according to the material, with exquisite carving workmanship and novel shapes that are very charming. The products are sold all over the domestic market and exported to Southeast Asia and Western Europe regions.
Bamboo and Wood Carving Artworks
Using natural green bamboo and boxwood as materials, line carving, relief carving, hollow-out carving, and Chinese painting techniques are employed to represent various themes such as mountains and rivers, gardens, flowers and birds, and figures. The main products include tea boxes, vases, brush pots, smoking utensils, chopsticks, square bamboo canes, screens, inlaid wall hangings, etc. The knife skills are rigorous, the artistic conception is profound, the reality and unreality are appropriate, and they possess a high level of artistry.
Gold and Silver Jewelry
The product quality ranks among the top in the country. They produce five major categories: headwear, neckwear, wristwear, clothing accessories, and pendants, with about 500 varieties and an annual output of 500,000 pieces. The craftsmanship is advanced, the workmanship is exquisite, the styles are varied, and they are novel and unique, with distinct national characteristics. In addition to supplying the domestic market, the products are also exported to more than 20 countries and regions in Europe, America, and Southeast Asia. Since 1985, earrings, finger rings, necklaces, and chest decorations have won quality awards at the departmental and autonomous regional levels 42 times.
Metal Art Crafts
Now it has become an important cultural product with its own unique style. It can produce commemorative medals, badges, emblems, trophies, plaques, hanging pieces, display pieces, small gifts, etc., with various shapes of human figures, animals, landscapes, and geometric forms such as squares, prisms, and circles. The shapes are simple and vivid, the colors are bright and harmonious, and the workmanship is exquisite. The annual output is hundreds of thousands of pieces, sold in more than ten provinces and autonomous regions in the country.
Jewelry
Produced by three enterprises including Guilin Wanya Jewelry Co., Ltd. Using gold and silver as the base, various jewels, jade, and emeralds are inlaid. Based on traditional Chinese craftsmanship, foreign advanced technology and equipment are introduced for production according to international standards. There are finger rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and various pendant decorations, with more than 10,000 varieties and an annual output of more than 400,000 pieces. The design is novel, the shape is elegant, and the workmanship is exquisite. They are sold domestically and exported to more than 20 countries and regions in Europe, America, Southeast Asia, Japan, Hong Kong, etc.
Porcelain Engraving
A craft of engraving various patterns and designs on porcelain using hard tools, which started in the Ming Dynasty. There are two types: white blank and colored glaze, with engraved contents including human figures, flowers and birds, and landscapes. The works are characterized by fresh composition, smooth lines, vivid and lifelike depictions of characters, and have high appreciation and collection value.
Gemstone Processed Paintings
Developed and produced by Guangxi Gemstone Research Institute. It is an artistic device combining gemstones and paintings. Using colorful gemstones as raw materials, they are cut and polished to reveal their original colors. Chinese painting and Western painting techniques are applied according to the shape of the gemstones, representing landscapes, flowers and birds, figures, folk customs, etc., made into cabinet-style hanging pieces, plate-style, vase-style, and screen-style display pieces of various specifications. The pictures are magnificent, with a sense of three-dimensional relief and rich expressiveness. In 1991, it won the Gold Award at the National "Seventh Five-Year Plan" Starfire Achievements Exposition. In addition to supplying tourists coming to Guangxi, it is also exported to Southeast Asia and Europe and America.
Hydrothermal Synthesis Emerald Gemstones
Known as the "King of Green Gemstones". Successfully researched and developed by Guangxi Gemstone Research Institute from 1987 to 1989, producing the first gem-grade emerald crystal in the country. Its shape is good, the color is deep green, transparent, and a single piece can weigh up to more than 15 carats. Currently, it is being mass-produced and sold domestically and internationally.
Marble Products
Produced by nearly ten enterprises including Guilin Marble Factory. Using locally produced marble as raw material, various specifications of slabs and table tops are produced, used to make various furniture and handicrafts. Their products have beautiful patterns, elegant tones, high gloss, and stable quality.
Rush Weaving Art Crafts
Produced and marketed by Guilin Yongsheng Tourism Souvenirs Marketing Department. Made from local wild plants, carefully hand-woven. After processes such as molding, weaving, extracting yellow, disinfection, insect-proofing, mildew-proofing, and oiling, there are nearly a thousand varieties and styles, integrating the styles of rush weaving products from all over Guangxi, with typical national characteristics and strong local flavor. Flower baskets, hanging baskets, and various wall hangings are novel and unique, ingeniously designed, which can both decorate warm elegant rooms and adorn luxurious halls; animal figurines and process small cars are vivid and humorous; gift boxes, fruit plates, and various round buckets have ancient and elegant shapes, beautiful and dignified appearances, and strong practicality, making them excellent practical items for modern families and hotels.
Yangshuo Painted Fans
A traditional folk handicraft. Using local nan bamboo as the frame and xuan paper or silk as the surface, they are made through processes such as painting, dyeing, mounting, pasting, threading, and lacquering. Yangshuo painted fans are carefully selected in materials, exquisite in craftsmanship, and the content of the paintings includes various ancient and modern themes such as Guilin's landscapes, Yangshuo's scenery, flowers, birds, insects, fish, galloping horses, fierce beasts, and ancient women. All are created and hand-painted by local farmer painters, hence the name of the painted fan. On the front, back, or edges of the painting, poems, calligraphy, and seal impressions are paired, becoming a tourist craft and souvenir that integrates poetry, calligraphy, painting, and carving. The smaller ones are about one foot, and the larger ones range from 1 meter to 2 meters.
In addition to the representative fine products mentioned above, Guilin's tourist souvenirs also include Gui embroidery, combs, paper umbrellas, hand-painted screens, knitted decorative items, etc.