The Art of Traditional Framing: Inside Gu Yi Zhai

A century of craftsmanship, passed down through four generations in Hsinchu.

Located near Hsinchu City God Temple, Gu Yi Zhai is a traditional mounting and framing studio with roots stretching back more than a century. In addition to artwork mounting and framing, the shop has long been known for traditional calligraphy pieces, Spring Festival couplets, and door decorations.

The story began in the 1910s, when founder Chen Binghuang came to Hsinchu from Tong’an County in Fujian Province. He first rented a small space near the entrance of the City God Temple, earning a living by painting portraits before eventually moving the business to its current location.

During Taiwan’s Japanese colonial period, Japanese-style paper sliding doors became increasingly common. Because the paper used on these doors relied on techniques similar to traditional artwork mounting, Chen began learning the craft. What started as portrait painting gradually evolved into a family tradition of professional mounting and framing.

In the 1960s, Chen Binghuang’s son, Chen Tiancheng, took over the studio and continued developing the family craft. The business was later passed to the third generation, Chen Yikun, and today is carried on by fourth-generation owner Chen Qingfeng.

Over the decades, Gu Yi Zhai has remained closely connected to Hsinchu’s calligraphy and painting community, working with local artists and preserving traditional techniques that are increasingly rare.

Among the studio’s distinctive works is the Hundred Longevity Characters Scroll, featuring one hundred different interpretations of the Chinese character for “longevity.” Each character is written in a unique seal-script style, and completing the entire piece can take more than ten days.

Another treasured piece is a Taiwanese cypress worktable that has remained in the family for four generations. Built entirely with traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery and without nails, it is more than a piece of furniture—it is a quiet record of the generations who have practiced their craft around it.

Gu Yi Zhai is a reminder that true craftsmanship is not only about technique. It is also about patience, continuity, and the knowledge passed from one generation to the next.

For anyone visiting Hsinchu, it offers a rare glimpse into a living tradition that continues to be practiced by hand today.