Inheritance of joy

The famous carpenters of Xiangshan fight to keep their legacy alive amid challenges. Wang Kaihao reports from Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

A carpenter from Suzhou in eastern Jiangsu province was summoned by Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to Beijing almost 600 years ago. Kuai Xiang, who lived from 1398 to 1481, came to the Chinese capital with followers and ended up as one of the chief designers of the Forbidden City.

Many years later when the stunning structure was completed by hundreds of thousands of laborers, the architects led by Kuai came to be known as the "Xiangshan group" , after his sleepy hometown of Xiangshan. Today's Xiangshan still looks tranquil by the Taihu Lake but there are signs of development.