Young craftsman Yuan Haijun, from Yuanzhuang town in Rudong county, focuses intently on making a piece of furniture. [Photo/ntjoy.com]

Despite the continual waves of mechanization in modern industry, there are still those who devoutly believe in the power of ancient craftsmanship and the use of natural materials to produce timeless work that is more beautiful and sustainable.

Yuan Haijun from Yuanzhuang town – in Rudong county, administered by Nantong city in East China's Jiangsu province – is just such a person, with a very high respect for the intricate skills involved in handicrafts.

Born in 2002, Yuan is a star student at the Rudong Secondary Vocational School.

He was the youngest participant at China's first nationwide vocational skills competition held last year in Guangzhou city, in South China's Guangdong province, where he won 11th place in the Excellence Award for furniture making.

In his area of expertise, Yuan was challenged to make a cabinet within a specified time according to exacting requirements, allowing for a variation in the required dimensions of only ±0.5 mm. Despite small mistakes, his work impressed judges with its robust structure and perfect mortise and tenon joints.

Traditional mortise and tenon joints are widely found in ancient Chinese buildings and furniture. Without the use of nails, the technique is one of the strongest and most appealing woodwork joints able to be made, combining two pieces of wood which slot into each other.

"Machines can never create the exquisiteness that hand-made mortise and tenon joints have," Yuan said.

"I hope that by using my hands I can conserve and pass on the craftsmanship of the ancestors and strive for it as a lifelong career," he added.