Via field investigations and conversations with inheritors, Cinquini has gained an in-depth understanding of the history, techniques and cultural significance of Chinese glass painting, amassing substantial material for her research.

　　Now an active researcher and promoter of the craft, Cinquini said: "I am in my second year of the PhD program, so I still have ample time for research. There are many more stories to uncover about Chinese glass painting and I will keep coming back to China."

　　She plans to compile her findings into a book and introduce Tianjin's glass painting to Europe, while building connections with scholars, collectors and museum experts from both China and the West to expose this unique intangible heritage to a broader audience.

　　"I hope to build a cultural bridge between the East and the West through glass painting," Cinquini said with conviction.■

　　Zhang Chunlin (R), a representative inheritor of a Tianjin intangible cultural heritage item, instructs Laura Maria Cinquini, an Italian Ph.D candidate in world history at the University of Turin, in Chinese glass painting in Tianjin, north China, April 17, 2026. (Xinhua)