Unlocking secrets

Huang Yongqiang, the country's King of Locksmiths, has invented all sorts of instruments to tackle with high-tech locks.

Through the German embassy, he found Huang Yongqiang - the country's King of Locksmiths. When Huang arrived, it took him only a few minutes to unlock the Audi.

In his 40s, Huang is the founder of Beijing Lock King Unlocking Company, one of the nation's biggest locksmiths. Huang had already been famous for his skills in Anshan, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, before coming to Beijing in 2000.

More than 20 years ago, Huang was working for a garage. After a quarrel with colleagues, he left the job and started his own lock-repairing business by pushing a handcart around local streets. In the 1980s, being a self-employed businessman was not common. Lock-repairing was not considered as a decent occupation.

Huang received no support and even his father said: "Don't call me father in the street."

Huang Yongqiang demonstrates opening a car with his instruments to Italian locksmiths.

"It was a hard time. The local business administration bureau issued me a license, but I had no fixed place to work," Huang says.

Thanks to his skills and honesty, his small business prospered. With an initial investment of 160 yuan ($20), he earned 8,000 yuan ($1,060) in the first year.

In 2000, Huang took 11 employees to Beijing to gain a foothold in the big market. Huang invested 300,000 yuan ($40,000) into his company together with a friend's help. Seven years later, the company's assets are reaching 10 million yuan ($1.30 million) with more than 70 chain stores across the country.

The most profitable part of Huang's business is working with banks. Unlocking an ATM lock earns 3,000-5,000 yuan ($400-660) and his company has unlocked more than 500 ATMs.

On one occasion, one of his apprentices went to Wenzhou in East China's Zhejiang Province, to unlock an ATM that the bank could not open for a month. It took Huang's apprentice only 3 minutes.

Huang says films give the wrong impression of how a safe is unlocked. A master locksmith feels the lock through his hands, rather than listening to the clicking sound as shown in movies. Huang's apprentices must study with him for at least 2-3 years before mastering the technique.

In 1996, Huang became the first Chinese to join the Association of American Locksmiths. From his overseas counterparts, he learns about the latest information of global locking industry and purchases new high-tech locks, such as those used in Audi cars.

Huang often receives invitations to visit abroad. Foreign locksmiths are curious about how Huang works with his special tools, which he invented through intensive studies.

Huang's dedication to locks can be traced back to 1985. One of his neighbors left his keys at home. To unlock the door, the neighbor tied his son to a rope and lowered the boy to their window on the third floor. Tragically, the rope was cut by the sharp edge of windows and the father saw his son fall to his death.

Huang believes a locksmith with good skills would have prevented the tragedy.

Over the past two decades, Huang has not only studied locks but also passed on all his skills and crafts to his apprentices.

Huang's company has established its own calling system, supported by more than 30 chain stores in Beijing with more than 200 staff. Whenever a call comes in, the company must ensure that a staff reaches the scene and solves the problem as soon as possible.

Huang Yongqiang's apprentices practice unlocking a safe. Photos by Guo Tieliu

As the company's reputation grows, many people also feel concerned when they see how easily and fast the locksmiths can crack the locks they usually thought unbreakable.

With more than 3,000 apprentices, Huang has set up many strict rules. He must gain a thorough understanding of his apprentices' background. A lot of apprentices are children of his friends or relatives.

What's more important is the apprentice should present a "No Criminal Record Certification" from the local Public Security Bureau.

Huang also insists that his staff leave their fingerprints and palm-prints in the local Public Security Bureau as a record, even though there is no such formal regulation on the unlocking business.

Huang is working with other unlocking companies to draw up regulations to rule the behaviors of locksmiths. For instance, the unlocking process is not to be shared with others. This protects the company's special skills and tools from being misused.

When private customers call for help, Huang asks his staff to carefully check the identification of the customers and their neighbors to make sure that they would not unlock the wrong doors.

On holidays, the unlocking business is not available for the company customer unless the customers can prove their legal status.

Chen Yuwang contributed to the story

(China Daily 08/21/2007 page20)