Beijing Enamel Factory

Beijing's enamel factory is the last great workshop of jingtailan, the wire-inlaid cloisonné that shimmered in the Forbidden City. Visitors can walk the workshop floor and watch artisans bend copper wire into peonies, fill each cell with mineral glaze, and fire the piece until it glows.

The showroom sells the full range, from tiny earrings to vases taller than you, at factory prices that undercut every tourist market in Beijing. It is mesmerizing, photogenic, and one of the few places in China where a national treasure craft is still made entirely on site.