Nanjing Gold Foil Forging Process

Nanjing Gold Foil, originated from Nanjing and also known as Jinling Gold Foil, is the China’s traditional manual skill. it is also reputed as “A Unique in China”, and once was a state-run workshop manufacturing the gold lines in Ming Dynasty. With a history of manufacturing the gold foil for over 2500 years, China’s 70% and world’s 60% gold foil production volume are concentrated in Nanjing, which is China’s largest Real Gold Foil Production Base and one of the World’s Five Gold Foil Production Centers.

Nanjing Gold Foil Forging Process is unique with high technology standards. It maintains the conventional smelting, forging and other processes. From ancient to modern times, Nanjing Gold Foil Forging Process adheres to the manual hammering process and is the China’s special traditional craft. According to the summary of our predecessors, the current Nanjing Gold Foil Industry concludes the Gold Foil Forging Process into 12 steps. After elaborate processing, the gold bars are hammered into the gold foil as thin as cicada, the stacking height of 100 gold foil are less than 0.1 mm. Upon the scientific measurement, the height of 943 gold foils only reaches 1 mm, the weight of 10,000 of gold foils is only 178.125 g, the exquisiteness of manufacturing process is evident.

Nanjing Gold Foil enjoys the widespread reputation for its high quality. This process of turning the gold bullion into extremely thin gold foil is subtle and miraculous, which shows the intelligence and wisdom of Chinese working people and features the special skill of Chinese folk craft.

In 2006, “Nanjing Gold Foil Forging Process” was enrolled in State-Level Non-Material Cultural Heritage List.