Why Chang is in a glass of her own

In a small shop at Panjiayuan Market, the grapes are always fresh as if they came from the vineyard just minutes before. But don't try to eat them.

"The grapes in my shop are all made from glass," said Chang Hong, a fifth-generation Changzai master of glass making in Beijing.

The renowned glassmaking skill of her family began during the time of Empress Dowager Cixi, the powerful and charismatic figure who was the de facto ruler of China for 48 years.