Furnishing a career steeped in heritage

In recent years, Liu and his team have been involved in numerous restoration projects for artifacts from the Palace Museum.

"Restoration is a meticulous process," Liu says. "Like a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, we start with observation — recording the piece's era, techniques, materials and even the meaning behind its patterns.

"You can't just disassemble a piece of history casually; it poses a risk of causing additional damage. Each component must be meticulously labeled, disassembled according to the precise mortise-and-tenon technique, and then reassembled once the restoration process is finished."

Liu stresses the importance of preserving the original character of each piece. "The principle of 'restoring the old as old' is essential. Minimal intervention is crucial; it embodies our deep respect for history."

Restoring wooden furniture provides Liu an opportunity to learn the techniques of different eras. "It's a lifelong learning process," he says.