The morning sun shines through carved wooden screens, falling on the petals of a handcrafted peony taking shape under Li Yifan's deft fingers.

The flower is made from a stem of the medicinal tongcao plant (rice paper plant) by the same delicate art that once adorned Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) court ladies, says the Beijing resident in her 40s.

The tradition continued for more than two millennia to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

"I fix it onto modern hair accessories," says Li, as she coaxes delicate white fibers into fragile petals through meticulous pasting, folding, and pressing in the softly lit Yuxun Jingxi, a newly opened shop in the heart of Beijing's bustling Wangfujing area in late March.

A fourth-generation inheritor of this craft, Li says she is proud to revive the ancient art that few people recognize today.