The village Zhaxi Jicai in Shigatse, Tibet started to become a center for craftsmen to make gold, silver and bronze religious items during the 18th century.

The current Zhaxi Jicai Gold, Silver and Bronze Company, developed from a “craftsman association” established in 1960. It has 30 workers and a fixed asset of 808,000 yuan. Its main products are daily necessities and religious items, which are all hand-made and require several labor-intensive procedures to produce.

A Tibetan man works at Zhaxi Jicai Gold, Silver and Bronze Company in Shigatse, Tibet, September 14, 2009. [Uking Sun/chinadaily.com.cn]

The craftsmen working here have participated in a number of local projects, including the maintenance of Samye Monastery, the first monastery in Tibet, and Ta'er Temple in northwest China’s Qinghai province, which was the birthplace of Zongkaba, the founder of the Gelug Sect.

Laba Qiongda, the general manager of the company, says the silver products sell well outside Tibet and in fact the company can’t meet the demand for its silver. Workers here usually earn 1,500 yuan per month, and some can earn 3,000 during the busy season, Laba said.