Yǒngkāng

Yongkang lies in central Zhejiang, where generations of craftspeople have worked metal as well as wood, bamboo and stone. Local records mention copper mining as early as the Five Dynasties. In the Yuan period, copper and iron locks from Yongkang were presented as tribute. By the Qing, many farming households also practised a craft, selling their products or travelling from village to village to work for customers.