The four-section screen shows a majestic scene depicting nine Chinese dragons between the sky and a roaring river.

"My masters said we need to add a personified quality to the dragons to not only make them vividly alive, but also symbolize the spirit of people embracing the course of reform and opening-up," Cui says.

"People will see some of the dragons look aged, but still powerful, and others represent those in the prime of their lives."

He adds the way artisans treated other details on the screen is no less delicate. "The circling clouds were rendered a sense of great volume, and vapor rises from the river and floats in the air to accentuate a solemn atmosphere."