Zhou comes from several generations of carvers. The windows and doors of Lijiang and the surrounding areas are famous with their intricate carvings. It is these that his father helped to make and taught the younger Zhou after he left school. But Zhou always had a more artistic bent and wanted to express his creativity with his own individual pieces.

And so in 1997, at the relatively young age of 20, he took the brave step to start his new more creative carving business. As he explained to us recently Lijiang was perfect because of the beauty of the place, the inspirations it can provide, and its own traditions in art.