A young girl chooses widgets made by nankeen. [Photo/Xinhua]

Other crafts and skills recognized today include the cooking of Shaomai, a snack famous in Xiasha Town; building traditional Shanghai-styled furniture; and a fishing tool named "Hu", used in Qingpu District. Authorities say they will provide financial and technical support to people who keep the skills alive.

"We will organize experts to help every project further develop. For each project, we provide a subsidy ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands of yuan," said Gao Chunming, director of SH Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center.

With that help, Wang and her family are quite optimistic about nankeen's future. They plan to design more products made of nankeen and sell them to tourists.