Twenty-eight folding lacquer screens 1.2m wide, done in bright red and framed in black, rise 2.9 m high to separate a 300-sq-m-hall into three parts. Each side of the screen features aspects of 56 of China's ethnic groups.

On the wall in the center of the hall hangs a giant lacquer painting donated by Hao Bangyi, a noted contemporary Chinese artist. Showing rich details of Chinese ink and brush techniques, the painting is called Magpies Leap in the Plum Blossom. Magpie has traditionally been considered an auspicious bird that is supposed to bring good luck while the plum blossom symbolizes a tough spirit as the flower blooms in ice-cold winter. The painting done in pure gold foil, shell and gold powder is approximately 15 sq m.

All these are part of the major decorations of the Honored Guests Hall in the National Stadium in Beijing.

"I think it's a great honor to present my family art to the world," says Shen Jinli (first left), president of Youbide Lacquer Craft Company in Xiamen, Fujian province.

Shen was offered by The National Olympic Sports Center (NOSC) in 2007 to take charge of the interior decoration of the Honored Guests Hall, which will be used to receive VIPs from home and abroad at the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games.

Lacquer carving, is one of the famous fine arts of the southern province Fujian. The sap of lacquer trees is mixed with brick powder and spun into hair-like threads, which are then used to shape various patterns, such as dragons and phoenixes. This kind of art involves 27 procedures and has taken local craftsmen more than 10 generations to master and perfect.

Shen, descendant of lacquer master Shen Shao'an of the Qing Dynasty, explains the craftsmanship involved by drawing an analogy with the human body. A light plank, or base, is expected to be wide and smooth, and can be likened to the bone of human beings; four layers of thin cotton cloth wrapped around the plank are like the muscles while the layers of lacquer powder stick to the cloth like skin, preventing the wood from splitting and rotting. The last step is the lacquer coating.

From the heydays of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), this artwork has been a favorite of the well-heeled in southern Fujian province.

As treasured as silk and china, lacquer carving used to a prized activity in ancient times. Unfortunately, it began to lose some of its appeal in the late 1990s. Even the largest lacquer craft company in Fuzhou, the capital city of Fujian province, went bankrupt.

The 41-year-old Shen, who started learning the skill in her childhood, has been trying to revive this centuries-old art form.