Master Yao excitedly introduces the traditional mortise and tenon structure. [Photo from WeChat account jinxiguzhen]

Despite living in an age of high-quality mass-produced goods, Master Yao, an expert in antique furniture renovation, still devotes time to his beloved carpentry.

Master Yao started his long connection with wood when he was a teenager, and ever since then, he has grown to be the top carpenter in Jinxi town, Kunshan city.

From the type of the wood to its usage, and from its previous usage to its renovation, Master Yao can easily figure out the background of a wooden object. He is also an expert in the traditional mortise and tenon joint technique, which Chinese architects invented 6,000 years ago and is considered one of the most important building techniques of all time.

"The joint is made by inserting a tenon on one piece into mortise holes in another. It's the most stable structure, similar to human joints, and is the wisdom of our ancestors," the veteran craftsman said.

He was even invited to give lectures to students at Tongji University in Shanghai. Civil engineering is among its top majors.

"We Chinese sometimes say that 'one cannot carve on the rotten wood', but Yao just has the 'magic power' to turn waste into valuables," said a local resident.

One of Yao's master works is the 'Riverside Rhyme', a famed riverside hotel in traditional Chinese style, once just a shabby old house. From the reinforcement of the overall structure to its renovation and decoration, Yao completed it all by himself.

"Sometimes the rotten wood is perfect material as gold will glitter sooner or later," said Yao.

'Riverside Rhyme', a traditional Chinese style hotel, is one of Yao's master works. [Photo from WeChat account jinxiguzhen]