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Raw lacquer is the natural sap tapped from the lacquer tree. Its main component, urushiol, dries to a film that is hard, durable, acid- and moisture-resistant, and lasts a thousand years — a natural material hard to replace with synthetic coatings. Lacquering techniques, inscribed on China's national representative list of intangible cultural heritage, are carried by natural lacquer. The drawback is that drying depends on temperature and humidity (around 25°C and 80% humidity), and raw lacquer can cause allergies, so protection is needed when working with it.

Start with the "Chinese Lacquer Starter Kit", which contains five coloured lacquers, tools and an illustrated guide, enough to finish beginner pieces such as a round fan or lacquer beads. With some grounding in wooden bodies and cloth backing, move on to raw large-tree lacquer and tile-ash ground work. The lacquer bead handmade kit is another option — no prior experience needed.

Seal it and store it in a cool, dark place (5–25°C is recommended), away from heat and direct sun. If a skin forms on the surface, remove the film and stir well; the lacquer is still usable. Shelf life is generally 12 months or more, and the higher the urushiol content, the more stable it is. Once opened, use it within three months if possible.

Some people develop "lacquer bite" (an allergic rash) on contact with raw lacquer; this is a normal reaction. Wear gloves and long sleeves and keep the workspace ventilated. If a reaction occurs, traditional remedies such as camphor lotion or Chinese chive juice may ease it; seek medical attention in serious cases. Once dry, lacquerware no longer causes any reaction and is safe to use.

Hand lacquering requires each coat to cure in a humid chamber, so one piece takes about 45 days. Custom gift boxes start at 10 boxes, with logo engraving, greeting inscriptions and bespoke box design; orders of 100 boxes or more qualify for tiered pricing. We recommend ordering two months ahead to reserve production time.

Yes. Every batch of raw lacquer can be supplied with a third-party test report (urushiol content, moisture content and other indicators). Corporate bank transfers are accepted and VAT invoices issued; universities and museums may apply for samples first.

Zhengdaming is the name of the group and its flagship brand. Longtou Guoqi is the group's materials brand and also the short name of its operating company, Shaanxi Longtou Guoqi Cultural Industry Co., Ltd. The group has four brands: Zhengdaming, Longtou Guoqi, Niuwang Guoqi and Suishiji.

Yes. The Zhengdaming trading house was founded in 1925 by lacquer merchant Yuan Yongling in Pingli, Shaanxi, and is now more than a century old. In 2016 his descendant Yuan Duanjiao founded Shaanxi Longtou Guoqi Cultural Industry Co., Ltd. to carry the lineage forward.

“Niuwang lacquer” (literally “Ox King lacquer”) is the traditional name for Pingli raw lacquer, from the ox-head mark painted on Zhengdaming's lacquer barrels. The Niuwang Raw Lacquer Craft is a Shaanxi provincial intangible cultural heritage item, listed in 2022. Niuwang Guoqi is the group's intangible-heritage brand.

Yes. They are different names for the same natural material: the sap of the lacquer tree, the same family of material as Japanese urushi. Unprocessed sap is called raw lacquer; filtered, dehydrated and blended lacquer is called refined lacquer. China has used lacquer for about 8,000 years.

The Ming-dynasty Compendium of Materia Medica records that lacquer “from Jinzhou is the finest, hence called golden lacquer”; Jinzhou is today's Ankang, Shaanxi. Pingli, in the Qinba Mountains, is known as China's Home of the Lacquer Tree, and its Niuwang lacquer was a tribute lacquer in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

It describes how hard lacquer is to gather. A lacquer tree must grow about eight years before it can be tapped, is tapped only in summer and autumn, and then needs rest. Farmers climb the mountains before dawn and tap tree after tree to collect a single jin (500 g).

Raw lacquer does not dry by evaporation. The enzyme laccase in the sap polymerizes urushiol into a film, and it works best at about 20–30 °C and 70–85% relative humidity, so lacquerware cures slowly in a humid “shade room”.

Natural lacquer has a distinctive sour, fragrant smell, while chemical paints usually smell of solvent; it only cures in humid conditions and dries slowly; and its film is warm and grows brighter with use. The most reliable check is origin information and a urushiol content test report. Every batch of Zhengdaming raw lacquer is traceable and comes with a third-party test report.

Avoid prolonged direct sunlight, sudden temperature changes and scratches from hard objects. Wipe with a soft dry or slightly damp cloth, and do not use strong acid or alkaline cleaners. Lacquer grows more lustrous with use, a glow known as “bao guang”.

Yes. The Longtou Guoqi Cultural Industry Park in Longtou Village, Pingli County, houses the Niuwang Raw Lacquer Intangible Heritage Museum and offers lacquer culture exhibits plus lacquer tapping and lacquer fan experiences. Please book in advance; see Offline Stores.