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Wulin opens pavilion of cultural heritage
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WULIN Neighborhood located right in the center of the city is considered Hangzhou’s most prosperous commercial belt since the bustling Yan’an and Wulin roads run through it. It is also one of the most antiqued blocks as the ancient royal palace of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) is located here. On top of that, it is popular with tourists due to the location at the eastern side of the West Lake.
Throughout history, a batch of folk craftsmanship has popped up and thrived in Wulin, enriching Hangzhou’s intangible cultural heritage. Though some disappeared, some survived thanks to the perseverance of artisans.
In order to protect the local heritage, Wulin Neighborhood Committee established an intangible cultural heritage pavilion to highlight its unique history and culture, including its old stores, time-honored brands, crafts and other traditions.
“We started to plan the museum ever since the Hangzhou government proposed to protect the cultural heritage in towns and residential blocks in 2014,” says the committee’s Liu Xiaohang. “Half of Shangcheng District’s intangible heritage is located in Wulin, which laid a solid foundation for the establishment of the pavilion.”
It took the committee six months to collect documents and settle on the makeup of the pavilion, which now features 18 types of cultural heritage.
The main space of the pavilion is used to display crafts. One of the most eye-catching handicrafts is Hangzhou’s glossy embroidery style.
During the Southern Song Dynasty, Hangzhou, as the capital city, was home to craftsmen and craftswomen who made embroidered robes for emperors and officials. One of Emperor Song Gaozong’s concubines was renowned for her embroidery. Some of her work can now be found at the Museum of London.
Of course, folk arts cannot flourish without craftsmen and craftswomen who have devoted their energy to their work and pass their knowledge on to the next generation.
Today, 70-year-old Zhao Yijun is known as the city’s last male embroidery master. He has dedicated most of his life to hand-made Hangzhou-style embroidery. To create his intricate pieces, he uses tiny needles and sometimes splits a single thread into several finer ones.
On the opening day of the pavilion, he showcased his threading techniques and exquisite style. Visitors will also be able to see Zhao in the future as he will work at the pavilion on certain days.
Another craft in Wulin is the so-called “Chinese frog,” an ornamental braiding made with a button that is often used on tops with a Mandarin collar.
The frogs flourished along with the boom of the Manchu costumes during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Later, they became a quintessential Chinese-style apparel and were applied on traditional bags and accessories.
Skilled craftsmen can weave frogs with sophisticated symmetric structures, but few of them are still alive today.
Song Yuezhen has been braiding frogs for decades and is now a senior technician in Hangzhou Weiyun Company that produces cheongsam and Chinese-style dresses. Some of her frogs are shaped in Chinese characters with dissymmetric loops.
For the pavilion’s opening ceremony, Song showed visitors how to make a basic frog within 10 minutes. Like Zhao, she will be working at the pavilion every now and then to teach visitors about the once popular handicraft.
The pavilion also contains time-honored brands that have thrived in Wulin for centuries.
Zhang Tongtai Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacy on Zhongshan Road still attracts a large number of customers today. Since its establishment in 1800, it has distributed free laba congee on the eighth day of the 12th month in Chinese lunar calendar.
Unlike traditional laba that contains nuts, red dates, red bean, glutinous rice, lotus seeds and raisins, the congee served in the pharmacy is cooked according to a secret recipe with medicine herbs.
Getting a bowl of laba congee from Zhang Tongtai has already become a tradition for Wulin residents. Now, this edible intangible heritage is on display in the pavilion as well.
Song Dynasty (960-1279) poet Lu You and modern educationist Ma Yinchu used to live in the area as well, and a part of the pavilion tells the story of these famous residents.
Address: 12 Zhugan Alley
Tel: (0571) 28992039
Admission: Free
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