Buckets, ladles, furnaces, and funnels were made of galvanized iron in the old days but today plastic products are flooding our lives. As a result, the old craftsmanship of making articles out of galvanized iron is gradually fading.

However, a craftsman in Taicang has preserved the skill for the past 25 years.

Yuan Quanhong has a small store in the Changdainong, Chengxiang town of Taicang crammed with tools for forging galvanized iron and made-up articles, most of them buckets.

He himself cannot remember how many galvanized iron objects he's made over the years.

Master Yuan said that at this game what you need are good hands since none of the articles can be made without shearing, cutting, striking and hammering.

"Take a bucket for example," Yuan said. "It mainly involves cutting out an edge, rolling up the edge and welding."

He showed how to make one. He put a piece of iron on an anvil after cutting it out in the shape he wanted. Then, he struck the galvanized iron along the edge with a hammer. After all the preparation work, he welded the juncture with an electric welder.

Yuan started to learn the craft when he was 24 years old simply to make a living.

With diligence and an eagerness to learn the skill, Yuan finished his apprenticeship in less than a year.

Then, he managed his own store in Taicang. Because of his great skills and warm heart, more and more people, even from the far away countryside, came for his articles.

But, in today's society, there is less need for ironsmiths. For master Yuan, it's regular customers' reliance on him that allows him to continue applying his skills.

Mater Yuan shears the galvanized iron for a bucket. [Photo/WeChat account: taicangdaily]