Sugar blower Zhang Yiliang,
or Sugar Figure Zhang blows into the air pocket of a sugar ball
with a blow pipe and shapes the surface into a sugar mouse on
ancient Jinli Street in Chengdu, southwestern China's Sichuan
Province.
When you step onto the ancient street of Jinli you will notice a
rich display of intangible cultural heritage including flour
figures, sugar blowing, sugar painting and shadow plays. These
traditional parts of the Chinese culture still enjoy a strong
vitality, good economic returns and social influence in Jinli.
Sugar blowing expert Zhang Yiliang, who is known in Jinli as
Tangren Zhang, or Sugar Figure Zhang, sets up his stand on the
scenic street. He says that it is difficult to find somebody else
in Chengdu who has mastered this time-honored handcraftsmanship.
The sugar blower has made the variety of sugar figures that he
displays on his stand. He first prepares his basic recipe of hard
candy by heating it until it becomes soft. He then picks up a lump
of the soft sugar and makes a small hollow to attach his blow pipe.
Zhang then slowly blows through the pipe and enlarges the air
pocket inside the sugar ball and shapes the outside with skillful
fingers. Zhang says, the secret to making the different shapes lies
in how fast and how accurately you can move your fingers.
Zhu Zhengguo is more than 70 years old and is a member of the
folk culture association in Chengdu. He is famous for making
"Shuahuo"-traditional toys made out of lumps of plastic. "Shuahuo
Zhu" used to make nine-interlinking-hoops out of copper, a type of
toy that is good for developing a child's intellect. He also made
figures out of flour. Through experience, skill and aspiration he
has now created a series of vivid plastic figures. He also makes
some typical and popular products for visitors including a "panda
playing a drum" and "a monkey swinging over a horizontal bar."
According to Mr Zhu, one small toy will sell for from 10 to 20
yuan. However, some visitors still feel that the price is too
expensive. Zhu says, that the toys are completely made by hand and
this takes time. At a lower price they would not be able to make
any profit and the special handicraft would surely disappear. To
solve this problem, he has prepared some unfinished products at a
lower price for customers to take home and try to complete on their
own.
When asked how well the traditional toys compete with modern
toys, Zhu has a lot of confidence. These toys are actually art
forms and not only for entertainment. They also carry an element of
nostalgia as many people remember their childhood and the good
times of the past through these toys. Still, Zhu adds nowadays kids
have electronic toys and the cartoon figure Oatman but as time goes
by the popularity of traditional products will grow. Only at that
time these products will not only be for the nation but also for
the world.
"Shuahuo Zhu" has worked in this field for more than twenty
years. He says that now only he and his wife are doing this type of
work. Being short handed, they have to work day and night if a
customer places a big order. He would like to take on several
apprentices to hand down the handcraftsmanship of making this
Shuahuo priceless cultural asset.
In Jinli, you can also watch a Pi Ying Xi performance or Chinese
shadow play. The plays are an ancient form of storytelling and
entertainment that use opaque figures cut from leather and placed
in front of an illuminated backdrop to create the illusion of
moving images.
Other local handicraft includes Shu (Shu is the shortened form
of Sichuan Province) brocade, Shu embroidery, and Chuan embroidery.
Shu painted handicrafts are also available.
Dating back to the Qin dynasty, Jinli was once one of the
busiest commercial streets of the Shu Kingdom, during the Three
Kingdoms Period. After its renovation in 2004, it has served as a
showcase for living traditional art and handicraft. Some of these
craft forms are on the verge of extinction. If this is allowed to
happen the people from China and the whole World will lose a
valuable and irreplaceable part of history.?
Zhu Zhengguo, or "Shuahuo
Zhu", in a long blue dress, carries his goods stand and sells
"Shuahuo"- a traditional toy made out of plastic along ancient
Jinli Street in Chengdu, southwestern China's Sichuan
Province.
A middle aged puppeteer
performs shadow puppetry on a translucent sheet of cloth. The
shadows are seen by the audience in profile on the cloth on ancient
Jinli Street in Chengdu, southwestern China's Sichuan
Province.
A middle aged puppeteer
performs shadow puppetry on a translucent sheet of cloth. The
shadows are seen by the audience in profile on the cloth on ancient
Jinli Street in Chengdu, southwestern China's Sichuan
Province.
(CRI January 14, 2008)
