Bricks and tiles bring wealth to Xiongqitian villagers

In the two Xiongqitian villages of Qujing city in Yunnan province, white-wall houses in nice order are covered with tiles on roofs. The village of 108 households, about 416 residents, is mostly comprised of skilled craftsmen engaged in the ancient architecture industry. The industry has brought them wealth.

Xiong Shuangming, a 59-year-old villager, has been engaged in the production and design of ancient architectural materials for over 30 years. The quality of his products and projects is well-regarded.

"I was the first person in our village to learn this craft, and later I led villagers to enter the ancient architecture industry one after another," said Xiong. He has received many orders from clients that can fill up his year schedule. Now, many villagers have acquired skills and receive stable income. "In recent years, I’ve been working in the industry in other places. With higher income, my life is getting better. This year, I want to build a three-story house at home," said villager Xiong Changping.

In Qujing city's Qilin district, the Zhujiangyuan Yuekun Ceramics Factory has been producing tiles and wood carvings for many years. The factory director Xiong Yukun is a villager. With years of effort, his factory has developed from a simple workshop of making simple products to a production workshop with 80 employees. The main products include tiles, bricks, brick carvings, wood carvings, and other architectural accessories, with over 160 varieties.

In addition to local sales, the products are also exported to Sichuan, Guizhou, Xinjiang, Xizang, Fujian, and other places in China. The factory produces over 20 million pieces of various bricks and tiles annually, with an output value of over 10 million yuan. The ceramics factory has also broadened employment opportunities for local residents, with 80% of its workers being villagers from nearby areas. Now, their salaries can be 4,500 to 5,500 yuan.

Source: CNR; trans-editing by Wang Yunya