Sun's efforts play a pivotal part in reviving the art, and he's been promoting filigree and inlay artwork.
"The technique is purely handmade, and it takes about 10 years to master the craft", Sun said, "Besides, the maker has to be 30-60 years old, as the technique needs proper strength, neither too strong nor too weak."
During the 2014 APEC meeting in China, handbags made by using filigree and inlay techniques were given to the wives of participating countries' leaders as national gifts, which has made the ancient technique better known to the public.
"Among the more than 2,000 museums in China, there are only two profitable museums: one is National Museum of HUAXIA, and the other one is the China International Showgood Art Museum", Sun said.
Achieving such a success is not easy for Sun, who was born in a small village in Central China's Henan province, and brought up by his mother and elder brother. He came to Beijing in his 20s and worked in a restaurant at first.
Then he earned a college degree through self study and got the chance to work in a publishing group, where he read a lot of ancient Chinese classics and his understanding of Chinese civilization grew. Three years later, he quit his job and started his own business in the field of art investment.
Since stepping into the art field, he's cast his eyes on traditional art and hasn't stopped his efforts in promoting ancient crafts.
The museum is currently conducting a project that plans to create 1,000 pieces of art using ancient techniques, including the eight superb crafts native to Beijing, such as filigree and inlay, jade carving, cloisonné, and lacquer engraving. These master creations, joint efforts of numerous master artists, will tour around the nation, allowing the public to fully enjoy the beauty of ancient crafts.
"More than 600 pieces have been completed, and the tour exhibition will probably kick off next year," Sun said.
It is also partnering with the Palace Museum in Beijing and the Palace Museum in Taipei to replicate 50 treasures in each museum. Themed "Comparison of Ancient and Modern", ancient treasures and the corresponding crafts inherited through today will be exhibited at the same time, showing how ancient crafts have evolved with time.
"We want to call on more people to pay attention to cultural protection through collecting master craftsmen's works, as a way to help revive the intangible cultural heritage," Sun said.
"In 100 years, what the Palace Museum owns, I want to have in my museum too", Sun added.
