An honest living

Jiang Yuanbin and his sister Jiang Yuzhen, fifth-generation of Jiang Zhengxing Steelyard shop, believe that honesty and integrity are essential to their professional reputation. Qiu Xinming / for China Daily

Over five generations, the Jiang family has been making traditional weighing scales, earning a reputation for accuracy and fine craftsmanship. Liu Kun reports.

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For more than 2,000 years, traders in China have been using a type of scale known as a "steelyard" for weighing commodities of all kinds, including grain, livestock and vegetables. While more sophisticated weighing technologies have since been invented, many traders still use steelyards, particularly in small towns and villages, relying on their accurate measurements for their daily business.

In the Xinzhou district of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, the Jiang family has been making steelyard scales for the past 200 years, the craftsmanship passed down through five generations. The Jiang Zhengxing Steelyard shop has a reputation for reliability, and the accuracy of their products is guaranteed - earning them the name "conscience steelyard".

Inside the shop, which is found among the city's winding market streets, a range of steelyards with various weights attached can be seen hanging from the walls, the tools of the trade scattered about the place.

Fifth-generation craftsman Jiang Yuanbin is hard at work, helping his customer Ba Jinkun fix a scale that has succumbed to wear-and-tear.

Ba has used the scale for his recycling business for the past 15 years, and it still weighs accurately, although the iron ring needs some repairs.

"I bought this steelyard here on my first day of business," says Ba. "It isn't convenient to carry an electric scale with me. Many people told me that Jiang's steelyards are accurate and good quality, and this is the first time I've had to get mine repaired."

The excellent quality of Jiang's scales comes from the complex production process, from selecting and shaping the wood to grinding and polishing the brass. There are 10 main stages to construction, and the process take around five or six hours, with accuracy and attention to detail required at every step.

"The work is very difficult," Jiang says. "My father used to work from early morning to late at night to make two steelyards."

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