Handwoven cloth makes a comeback
By Fei Lai |
August 8, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Chongming County is taking traditional handwoven cloth and adding new fashionable elements to revive the skill and turn it into a way for more locals to earn a living.
Traditional handwoven cloth in Chongming County, once a pillar industry, is about to regain its vitality by turning into something fashionable.
A handwoven cloth exhibition hall has opened to the public in Sanmin Culture Village on the island county.
Around 100,000 bolts of handwoven cloth are displayed. All have been donated by local families.
Visitors can learn about the 500-year history of handwoven cloth on the island and its fashion potential.
"Chongming handwoven cloth, which was used by our grandparents, collected by our parents and forgotten by our generation, should be endowed with new value," says Fan Jinggui, director of Sanmin Culture and Art Center.
"Rather than keeping them at the bottom of your closet, it's better to make full use of the old cloth to carry forward the culture behind it," Fan adds.
In ancient times, women were expected to spin and weave cloth, while men were expected to till the land. Each harvest brought grain and cotton.
Chongming handwoven cloth hit its heyday early last century. At that time, the population in Chongming was about 600,000. Amazingly, there were 100,000 weaving machines and the county produced 2.5 million bolts of handwoven cloth annually - enough to circle the planet 2.5 times.
However, with the development of the modern textile industry, fewer people made their own cloth and the skill started to fade.
Fully aware of the value of handwoven cloth, Sanmin Culture Village is now on a mission to not only revive it, but build it into a profitable business.
A seminar was held at the culture village last Tuesday. Experts in handwoven cloth discussed issues such as the significance of carrying forward handwoven cloth culture, the history of handwoven cloth culture in Jiangnan (region south of the Yangtze River), appreciation and collection, and how to add creative elements to develop traditional handwoven cloth.
From cotton to cloth, the handcraft of weaving requires 72 procedures and has been carried on for hundreds of years.
"Each piece of cloth showcases the wisdom of our laborers," Fan says. "They never give up innovating and they keep improving techniques."
With a long history, the handwoven cloth in Jiangnan is of high quality. Chongming features high slopes, rivers and fields. It produces exceptionally good cotton to produce the cloth.
"It feels cool in summer and warm in winter. With good ventilation and quality texture, it is a real gift from nature," Fan says.
"Handwoven cloth demonstrates a green concept obviously. It creates zero pollution, causes no static electricity and serves as an effective way to fight UV-rays. For people seeking a green life, it can be a new trend."
Chongming handwoven cloth comes in many patterns and colors.
Currently, the cloth displayed at Sanmin Culture Village features around 150 patterns. Besides regular designs such as squares and circles, some feature Chinese characters with auspicious meanings. They convey good will for traditional rural life.
Yao Jinwen, a folk collector, believes that Chongming handwoven cloth is a traditional symbol of a good wife and mother.
"In ancient times, women were supposed to make clothes for the family, which should be kept for their whole life," Yao says. "The better the weaving, the more virtuous the woman."
In old days, handwoven cloth was tailored into clothes. But now it has more applications. The team at Sanmin Culture Village is inviting fashion designers to make blankets, table clothes, bags and bedding products.
Director Fan says expatriates from South Korea, Japan and some Western countries have shown interest in the cloth.
"A bolt of handwoven cloth now takes about 26 days to complete and costs around 1,700 yuan (US$264)," Fan says. "Old people aged around 60 still know how to weave. But they no longer are able to do such manual work. That's why we have to collect the cloth from local families."
Fan is encouraging more people to join them in order to preserve the traditional craft.
"Handwoven cloth is a cultural product by which we pay respect to our nation's culture and tribute to our ancestors," Fan says. "While today's people pursue luxury goods, they also need something simple and natural to find peace in life. I think handwoven cloth can meet that demand. It's our historical mission to preserve it."
For visitors who want to experience more of folk culture, Sanmin Culture Village offers a total of 56 exhibition halls with various themes. Visitors can discover around 100,000 roof tiles with a history of 50 years to 2,300 years, 10,000 carved wooden boards and 1,000 hand-carved windows and doors.
Sanmin Culture Village
Address: 2201 Linfeng Rd
Tel: 5964-9288
Check www.smc99.com for more information.
How to get there:
? Drive through Changjiang Tunnel-Bridge and take the exit to Chenhai Road.
? Turn right at Panlong Road, then at Beiyan Road and finally at Linfeng Road.
Traditional handwoven cloth in Chongming County, once a pillar industry, is about to regain its vitality by turning into something fashionable.
A handwoven cloth exhibition hall has opened to the public in Sanmin Culture Village on the island county.
Around 100,000 bolts of handwoven cloth are displayed. All have been donated by local families.
Visitors can learn about the 500-year history of handwoven cloth on the island and its fashion potential.
"Chongming handwoven cloth, which was used by our grandparents, collected by our parents and forgotten by our generation, should be endowed with new value," says Fan Jinggui, director of Sanmin Culture and Art Center.
"Rather than keeping them at the bottom of your closet, it's better to make full use of the old cloth to carry forward the culture behind it," Fan adds.
In ancient times, women were expected to spin and weave cloth, while men were expected to till the land. Each harvest brought grain and cotton.
Chongming handwoven cloth hit its heyday early last century. At that time, the population in Chongming was about 600,000. Amazingly, there were 100,000 weaving machines and the county produced 2.5 million bolts of handwoven cloth annually - enough to circle the planet 2.5 times.
However, with the development of the modern textile industry, fewer people made their own cloth and the skill started to fade.
Fully aware of the value of handwoven cloth, Sanmin Culture Village is now on a mission to not only revive it, but build it into a profitable business.
A seminar was held at the culture village last Tuesday. Experts in handwoven cloth discussed issues such as the significance of carrying forward handwoven cloth culture, the history of handwoven cloth culture in Jiangnan (region south of the Yangtze River), appreciation and collection, and how to add creative elements to develop traditional handwoven cloth.
From cotton to cloth, the handcraft of weaving requires 72 procedures and has been carried on for hundreds of years.
"Each piece of cloth showcases the wisdom of our laborers," Fan says. "They never give up innovating and they keep improving techniques."
With a long history, the handwoven cloth in Jiangnan is of high quality. Chongming features high slopes, rivers and fields. It produces exceptionally good cotton to produce the cloth.
"It feels cool in summer and warm in winter. With good ventilation and quality texture, it is a real gift from nature," Fan says.
"Handwoven cloth demonstrates a green concept obviously. It creates zero pollution, causes no static electricity and serves as an effective way to fight UV-rays. For people seeking a green life, it can be a new trend."
Chongming handwoven cloth comes in many patterns and colors.
Currently, the cloth displayed at Sanmin Culture Village features around 150 patterns. Besides regular designs such as squares and circles, some feature Chinese characters with auspicious meanings. They convey good will for traditional rural life.
Yao Jinwen, a folk collector, believes that Chongming handwoven cloth is a traditional symbol of a good wife and mother.
"In ancient times, women were supposed to make clothes for the family, which should be kept for their whole life," Yao says. "The better the weaving, the more virtuous the woman."
In old days, handwoven cloth was tailored into clothes. But now it has more applications. The team at Sanmin Culture Village is inviting fashion designers to make blankets, table clothes, bags and bedding products.
Director Fan says expatriates from South Korea, Japan and some Western countries have shown interest in the cloth.
"A bolt of handwoven cloth now takes about 26 days to complete and costs around 1,700 yuan (US$264)," Fan says. "Old people aged around 60 still know how to weave. But they no longer are able to do such manual work. That's why we have to collect the cloth from local families."
Fan is encouraging more people to join them in order to preserve the traditional craft.
"Handwoven cloth is a cultural product by which we pay respect to our nation's culture and tribute to our ancestors," Fan says. "While today's people pursue luxury goods, they also need something simple and natural to find peace in life. I think handwoven cloth can meet that demand. It's our historical mission to preserve it."
For visitors who want to experience more of folk culture, Sanmin Culture Village offers a total of 56 exhibition halls with various themes. Visitors can discover around 100,000 roof tiles with a history of 50 years to 2,300 years, 10,000 carved wooden boards and 1,000 hand-carved windows and doors.
Sanmin Culture Village
Address: 2201 Linfeng Rd
Tel: 5964-9288
Check www.smc99.com for more information.
How to get there:
? Drive through Changjiang Tunnel-Bridge and take the exit to Chenhai Road.
? Turn right at Panlong Road, then at Beiyan Road and finally at Linfeng Road.
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