The origin of oil-paper umbrellas

When many people mention oil-paper umbrellas, they always refer to Suzhou and Hangzhou. It seems that only Suzhou and Hangzhou should have oil-paper umbrellas. This is a one-sided understanding. In fact, oil-paper umbrellas are traditional daily rain gear commonly used in the north and south of the Yangtze River. They are a traditional and common handicraft industry. In the past, oil umbrella workshops were everywhere, just like tailor shops and blacksmith shops. However, since the 1950s and 1960s, due to the impact of modern technology, mechanized production of metal skeleton cloth umbrellas has replaced the traditional handmade oil-paper umbrellas. The traditional craftsmanship of oil-paper umbrellas is exquisite and complicated, and young people are unwilling to engage in the industry, making the once-popular oil-paper umbrellas on the verge of disappearing. There were not many umbrella factories (umbrella shops and workshops) left that had flourished before. China currently only has Jingxian in Anhui, Jialu in Wuyuan, Luzhou in Sichuan, Hangzhou in Zhejiang, Hunan, and Meinong in Taiwan. The Luzhou paper umbrellas, Hangzhou silk umbrellas and Wuyuan Jialu paper umbrellas have now been included in the "intangible cultural heritage" protection. Luzhou paper umbrellas and Hangzhou silk umbrellas were declared early and both were listed as national "intangible cultural heritage". Later, the Jialu Paper Umbrella was declared as a provincial-level "intangible cultural heritage", and then it was declared as a national-level one. In terms of scale and craftsmanship, it is Wuyuan Jialu Paper Umbrella. Jialu paper umbrellas originated in the fifth year of Xianchun (1269 AD) and were recorded in history in the Jiaxu year of Kangxi (1694). In 1936, they won the gold medal at the International Product Expo. After production was resumed, the output increased year by year. In 2014, the production and sales volume exceeded 30 Thousands. In fact, most of the oil-paper umbrellas rumored on the Internet are produced and processed by Wuyuan Jia Road and Sichuan Luzhou, and they are just agents. Beijing, the imperial capital for thousands of years, has had many well-made oil-paper umbrellas since ancient times, but only a few have been passed down and preserved.

Qinfeng Hanyue Oil Paper Umbrella specializes in making traditional oil paper umbrellas. The oil-paper umbrella rib processing factory is located in the picturesque Jiangnan. There is an umbrella-shaped Hanhua production workshop in Dongba Dongyao Art District, Chaoyang District, Beijing. Oil-paper umbrellas have now become a national intangible cultural heritage. There are not many artists who can make oil-paper umbrellas. The Qinfeng Hanyue oil-paper umbrella factory has gathered artisans with superb folk skills in making oil-paper umbrellas. They are all from a family that makes oil-paper umbrellas.

Qinfeng Hanyue oil-paper umbrella inherits the traditional oil-paper umbrella production technology, which is purely handmade. The umbrella surface is made of traditional tissue paper, the ribs are made of orchid bamboo, and are brushed with pure natural tung oil. The handle and ribs retain the original materials. The color has a simple charm. At the same time, Qin Feng Han Yue also continued to innovate, research and develop, and reform and innovate in key processes such as umbrella ribs, threading, and calligraphy. In addition to the common themes of traditional Chinese paintings, such as flowers and birds, figures, landscapes, slate rubbings, etc., oil-paper umbrella patterns also opened up new areas. New themes such as facial makeup and hand-painted blue and white series. In addition, there are also features that can be customized according to customer requirements.

Qinfeng Hanyue oil-paper umbrellas are made using ancient methods that have been passed down for thousands of years. The process is complex and the cycle is long. An oil-paper umbrella, from numbering bamboo (selecting bamboo) to soaking bamboo (soaking in water), steaming bamboo (boiling), drying bamboo, planing bamboo, carving bamboo, drilling, assembling, threading, stringing, and mounting the umbrella (handle) The cut paper is glued to the frame, trimmed and shaped), exposed, hand-painted (painted with patterns on the umbrella surface, dried in the sun), oil umbrella (brushed with cooked tung oil on the umbrella surface), sun-dried umbrella, after eighty-one steps The craftsmanship requires a production cycle of about fifteen days to complete. Therefore, a Qin-style and Han-moon oil-paper umbrella combines a variety of unique features:

① It is made by an ancient method that has been passed down for thousands of years, and has high collectibility and inheritance.

②The umbrella surface is hand-painted by a professional painter, and the oil-paper umbrella has the potential to appreciate in value.

③The unique blue and white porcelain pattern Baotou has more Chinese classical characteristics, adding an elegance to the Qin style and Han moon oil paper umbrella.

④Every material of the oil-paper umbrella is carefully selected to be exquisite, strong, durable, wind and rain-resistant, and can be opened and closed repeatedly for more than 3,000 times.

An oil-paper umbrella combines the endangered handicrafts, calligraphy and painting of literati and elegant shapes rich in Chinese cultural elements. It is simple, nostalgic, exquisite and beautiful, and is an elegant work of art. The Qin Feng Han Yue oil paper umbrella is a kind of longing when closed. It can have a very good decorative effect when unfolded and hung on the wall or on the roof, making the whole space full of artistic feeling and elegant style. When you own a Qin Feng Han Yue oil paper umbrella, you can use it to protect you from the wind and rain, so that you can still be elegant and charming in the wind and rain; you can also use it as a photo prop in your spare time to add a touch of charm. Partially nostalgic. And you can also

A. Send your loved ones away: never leave, shelter from wind and rain.

B. For lovers: An oil-paper umbrella is the fate cultivated in the past life to stay together in this life. It is an unchanging promise to survive the ups and downs together. C. Send it to friends, comrades, and classmates: give you warm help when you need it. D. To colleagues: Thank you for your continued support. E. To the leader: Thank you for your cultivation, and I am willing to serve you all the way without hesitation. F. To the teacher: Thank you for your selfless teachings. Take care of your health in the busy time. The students’ hearts are full of concern and gratitude. The umbrella industry in Luzhou originated in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and its history is similar to that of Luzhou Laojiao.

The 1940s and 1950s were the "golden age" of Luzhou oil-paper umbrellas. From the late 1940s to the early 1950s, Zhuzi Street near Luzhou Xiaoshi Pier was the "Oiled Paper Umbrella Street". At its peak, Luzhou had more than 100 oil-paper umbrella factories with tens of thousands of employees, mainly concentrated in Lantian, Tai'an, Shawan and other places in Jiangyang District, with an annual output of 20 million "big red umbrellas".

Until the 1970s, practical and convenient steel-frame umbrellas gradually replaced oil-paper umbrellas, and people in Luzhou who were engaged in the production of oil-paper umbrellas began to change careers.

By the 1990s, few people were engaged in the production of oil-paper umbrellas.

After the popularity of foreign umbrellas, the craftsmanship of Luzhou oil-paper umbrellas gradually declined. Oil-paper umbrellas have complicated processes, high production costs, and low profits. It is difficult to attract young people to join the industry. In 2004, there were only more than 30 old craftsmen in the local area continuing this industry. At that time, many people worried that Luzhou oil-paper umbrellas would be lost. In October 2005, Shanghai Guinness World Luzhou Oil-paper Umbrella once again sent an invitation letter to the Jiangyang District Government, and the local oil-paper umbrella industry began to recover.

After the recovery of the oil-paper umbrella industry, it first became popular in Yunnan, Guizhou, Gulin County, Xuyong County and other areas where ethnic minorities gather, as ceremonial items such as sacrifices, congratulations, and gifts. Soon it was exported to Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau and other regions.

Luzhou has a history of producing oil-paper umbrellas for more than 400 years. In 2008, Luzhou’s oil-paper umbrella production technology was rated as a “national intangible cultural heritage” and praised by experts as “the living fossil of Chinese folk umbrella art.” ", CCTV once conducted a special interview and report.

Luzhou oil-paper umbrellas have the following characteristics: 1. They have a long history and are folk handicrafts and antique handicrafts with Chinese characteristics; 2. Luzhou oil-paper umbrellas basically maintain their hundreds of years of traditional handicraft making methods, known as It is the "living fossil of Chinese umbrella craftsmanship" and has a certain inheritance; third, Luzhou oil-paper umbrellas have a special production process, and the oil-paper umbrellas produced truly have the function of rain gear, combining beauty with practical functions. 4. Durable, sophisticated in craftsmanship, diverse in variety, and beautiful in pattern, a number of emerging oil-paper umbrella companies represented by classical oil-paper umbrellas combine traditional culture with fashion culture and promote the development of Luzhou oil-paper umbrellas.

At present, oil-paper umbrellas are still made in Luzhou using traditional methods. More than 70 processes are all manual. In recent years, more and more companies, workshops or individuals are engaged in oil-paper umbrella processing in Luzhou, and the craftsmanship has also emerged. After a certain amount of innovation, many manufacturers have adopted computer color-printed umbrella covers, which is becoming an important local tourism industry in Luzhou. Fenshui Oil-paper Umbrella Factory is the only remaining paper umbrella manufacturer in China that maintains the traditional crafts of tung oil and lithography. The traditional oil-paper umbrella production technology is praised by experts as the living fossil of Chinese folk umbrella art. It is also the only national-level non-profit enterprise in the oil-paper umbrella industry. As a material cultural heritage, the Fenshui Oil-paper Umbrella has been featured on the CCTV channel seven times and participated in more than 20 international and national performances. The most distinctive full-thread umbrella uses five-color silk threads to thread and weave more than 2,000 needles, and the bamboo jump switch has two positions in one piece. It is a unique skill in the umbrella. In 2013, the "water-dividing oil-paper umbrella" obtained national geographical indication product protection. Bi Liufu has become the only national-level legal inheritor of China's intangible cultural heritage oil-paper umbrella making skills.

Materials and processes

At present, oil-paper umbrellas are still made locally using traditional ancient methods. More than 70 processes are all done by hand. From cutting bamboo to drawing patterns, they are all done by hand. No use of machine. The materials also adhere to tradition. For example, the umbrella holder must be made of solid wood cut down from the mountains. The production tools also have a long history, such as ink stone printing, which has a history of more than 450 years. The patterns are also very particular, suitable for different festive occasions. The oil-paper umbrellas used for weddings have patterns such as "dragon and phoenix presenting auspiciousness", "cowherd and weaver girl", "fairy match", etc.; those used to congratulate the child on the new life include "two dragons grabbing treasures", "lotus lantern", "magpies making plum blossoms", " "Fairy Scattered Flowers" and so on; birthday gifts are "Hundred Birds Pay Attendance to the Phoenix", "Eternal Pine", "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea", "Peng Zu Lao Xian" etc. Ruoshuitang Youzhi Umbrella Shop, which originated in Beijing and still exists today, has a history of more than 100 years and has enjoyed a high reputation across the country since the Qing Dynasty. Compared with the oil umbrellas used by ordinary people, the craftsmanship of Ruoshuitang's umbrellas is more complicated. The umbrella ribs and poles are hand-cut from perennial purple arhat bamboo and smoked to increase their strength. The umbrella surface is made of leather paper with excellent toughness. After hand painting, persimmon oil and tung oil are applied repeatedly to make it waterproof, strong and durable.

In the Bingxu year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1886), Gao Congxi (from Pingyao, Shanxi) opened Ruoshuitang oil-paper umbrella shop in Zhushikou, the capital. The shop employed more than 20 clerks and 10 painters from the Southern and Northern schools. Yu Ren has meticulous workmanship and excellent painting skills, especially his hand-painted oil-paper umbrellas covered with peonies and Northern Song Dynasty landscape-themed oil-paper umbrellas that are outstanding. For a time, it became famous in the capital, and dignitaries and ladies rushed to buy it. Businessmen from all over the country also came in droves to exchange ideas and learn from each other, which became a trend.

Since the 1960s and 1970s, due to the impact of modern industrial civilization and the limitations of cumbersome manual processes, a large number of oil-paper umbrella manufacturers have gradually withdrawn from the daily rain gear market, but the elegant and natural beauty of oil-paper umbrellas It can never be compared to nylon steel frame umbrellas. Ruoshuitang has also transformed into an export-processing enterprise, producing traditional handmade oil-paper umbrellas for Taiwan, Japan, and Southeast Asia.

On the eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with the discovery and support of the government, time-honored oil-paper umbrella brands such as Ruoshuitang expanded their production scale. The umbrella-making process inherits a century-old traditional craft and involves more than 70 manual processes. Umbrella surfaces insist on using hand-painted techniques. In addition to the traditional hand-painted flowers and birds, figures and landscape themes, the industry has innovated and developed long-handled wrinkled cloud-tang umbrellas and ancient paper-made oil-paper umbrellas inlaid with natural leaves, which are used for decoration and gift giving in the Olympic press center. , well received by the market.

Ruoshuitang oil-paper umbrellas are located in Jiangxi, with a production and painting center in Pangezhuang Town, Daxing District, Beijing, and a product display center and sales store in Beijing. The products are also sold to Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States. Waiting places.

History and evolution

The production of paper umbrellas in Yuhang, Zhejiang has a history of at least 230 years. In the 34th year of Qianlong’s reign in the Qing Dynasty (1769), Dong Wenyuan opened an umbrella shop in Jiufang. Yuhang oil-paper umbrellas include fishing boat umbrellas, civilized umbrellas and other varieties. Due to sophisticated technology and high-quality materials, the umbrellas made are durable and will not fall apart or crack in the sun or rain, making them very popular. In the past, many foreign tourists passing through Yuhang would knock on doors in the middle of the night to buy umbrellas as gifts for relatives and friends in their hometown.

In 1951, Zhejiang Province selected Yuhang Paper Umbrellas as a pilot project for handicraft industry cooperation and established the "Umbrella Production Cooperation Group". At the end of 1952, the "Umbrella Handicraft Cooperative" was established, becoming the first handicraft production company in the province. The cooperative has been widely reported by domestic media. With the emergence of steel frame umbrellas for both rain and shine on the market, this kind of paper umbrellas are gradually being eliminated, and the Yuhang oil-paper umbrella technique is on the verge of being lost.

Until December 5, 2006, when Jiang Jun, deputy secretary of the Yuhang District Party Committee and acting district chief, settled in Pingyaotangbu Village, Liu Youquan, a master umbrella maker, expressed to Jiang Jun that he wanted to restore Yuhang Paper umbrellas help local mountain people develop tourism products to make themselves rich, catering to the trend of farmhouse tourism. When oil-paper umbrellas began to be phased out, Liu Youquan came up with the idea of ??inheriting this traditional craft. Soon he found a manufacturer of bamboo umbrella stands in Fuyang and bought 100 bamboo umbrella stands for a few hundred yuan. But he did not master the processing technology at that time, so he could only keep these umbrella frames for more than 30 years. The Urban and Rural Herald published a front-page headline on December 7 titled "Looking for an umbrella maker to restore the "Yuhang Paper Umbrellas"", which aroused great concern among locals. By December 19, four old masters, Fang Jinquan, Chen Yuexiang, Shen Lihua, and Sun Shuigan, gathered in Tangbu Village, Pingyao Town, to discuss the restoration of Yuhang paper umbrellas. In January 2007, they successfully resumed making oil-paper umbrellas with their dexterous hands. They taught their skills in Pingyaotangbu Village and led a large number of bamboo farmers in the mountainous areas to become rich. The Yuhang District Culture, Radio and Television Bureau has focused on protecting paper umbrellas as folk handicraft items, and the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture has also included Yuhang oil-paper umbrellas in the Zhejiang Intangible Cultural Heritage List. In June of the same year, Yuhang paper umbrellas were exhibited at the first Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Achievements Exhibition in Hangzhou.

Materials and processes

Umbrella making requires high manual skills. Umbrella makers must use their own skills and experience to complete the process. As well as personal understanding and long-term practical experience, it takes three years for an apprentice to graduate. The tools used are specially made by blacksmiths, and the materials used for the umbrella are also very particular. The above-mentioned fine peach blossom paper is used as the umbrella surface, soaked in persimmon lacquer, and pasted one by one on the umbrella ribs. Persimmon lacquer is made from the persimmon juice extracted from the persimmons when they are green. It is sticky but will not stick to the peach blossom paper. Bamboo and wooden umbrella handles and ribs are tied with hair thread. After the umbrella is pasted, a pattern is painted on it, and tung oil is applied. It is then hung up indoors to dry in the shade. It requires at least more than 70 processes, including sawing bamboo and scraping green. , flat head, splitting bones, sawing grooves, cutting bones, arranging umbrella ribs, threading umbrellas, gluing umbrellas, installing handles, etc. The oil-paper umbrella industry in Changsha, Hunan has a history of more than 100 years. The earliest documented umbrella shop in Changsha is the Tao Hengtai Paper Umbrella Shop, which was founded by Tao Jiqiao during the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty. A few years later, another Tao Hengmao Paper Umbrella Shop was established nearby. . The umbrellas of "Tao Hengmao" are made with fine workmanship, adhering to ancestral craftsmanship and carefully selecting materials. It is made of the middle tube of overwintering old bamboo and high-quality cloud paper, and the edges are made of self-spun native yarn. And the operation is strict, covering the top layer with silk cotton, knotting the middle bone with hair rope, using gauze to clip the hair rope on the edge of the umbrella, and using thick silk thread. After the umbrella embryo is made, it will be oiled three times in a row with raw tung oil in the dog days of summer. Excellent quality earns credibility.

In 1900, Liang Jingting learned skills at Liang Hongmao Umbrella Shop on Beizheng Street, Changsha City and opened his business as Liang Hongfa Umbrella, producing old-fashioned clear oil, black oil paper umbrellas and special large umbrellas for duck sheds. The paper umbrellas produced were of excellent workmanship. Fine and durable, it has gained the reputation of "Xiangtan clogs and Jinggang oil umbrella". In 1921, Pan Zhiqing brothers founded Feifei Umbrella Factory to produce paper umbrellas. In addition to traditional painted flowers, there were also spray flowers, printing and decals. The patterns were also diverse and were exported to Hong Kong, Macau and Southeast Asia. In 1929, Won an excellent award at the China Domestic Products Exhibition. The highest annual output of locally produced oil-paper umbrellas was close to 30,000 units. Until February 1975, the Jinggang Umbrella Society was cancelled, production of oil-paper umbrellas in Jinggang ceased, and the paper umbrella industry in other areas of Changsha also declined.

The raw materials of Changsha paper umbrellas are leather paper, bamboo, cotton yarn, hair rope, cooked tung oil, persimmon water, pigments, horns and wood. The oil-paper umbrellas produced by Su Hengtai Umbrella Shop in Hankou, Hubei Province have a history of more than 100 years. In 1864, Su Wenshou from Hunan saved 30 strings (one string equals 1,000 Wen) and began to invest in making umbrellas at home. He improved the umbrella-making skills he had learned, and the finished products were often in short supply. Soon he opened Su Hengtai Umbrella Shop at the entrance of Kuidou Alley of Guandi Temple on Hanzheng Street, employing 12 people and taking care of 3 apprentices. He could sell 500 to 600 umbrellas a month and stimulated the local umbrella market. Later, a workshop was opened in Xianxian Lane, Huohuo Road, and the production method changed from one person to produce the entire umbrella to a group of five people to divide the labor to make umbrellas. In the ninth year of Tongzhi, Su Hengtai sold 700 umbrellas per month and made an annual profit of nearly 200 strings.

Su Hengtai’s umbrellas are made of high-quality materials. The umbrella frame is made of Hunan Chaling bamboo, the umbrella handle is made of Hunan Yiyang wood, the tung oil is produced in Changde, the leather paper is made of Shaanxi Yun leather paper, and the persimmon oil is produced in Luotian County, Hubei. It can be used for 8 to 12 years. Very popular with local people, it was once popular in Jianghan Plain to buy a red and blue Su Hengtai umbrella when getting married, with men holding red and women holding blue, which means "a red man and a green woman, a happy marriage".

Until 1970, Su Hengtai oil-paper umbrellas ceased production, and this folk craft also disappeared locally. Jialu is a natural village in Wuyuan, Jiangxi. Because it is located on the main thoroughfare from Huizhou to Raozhou, it is named Jia Road, commonly known as Jia Road. Jialu traditional umbrella making has a long history. According to legend, in the fifth year of Chengchun (1269 AD), the Song Dynasty Prime Minister Ma Qianluan (son-in-law of Zhang family in Jialu) lived in Jialu and brought an oil-paper umbrella from the capital. Since then, Jialu people have continued to improve their craftsmanship and passed down umbrella making from generation to generation. In the folk period, Zhang Longsheng of the "Longsheng" Paper Umbrella Shop was the most famous. He invented the bamboo umbrella keys that are still in use.

Jialu paper umbrellas are famous for their deft production, exquisite craftsmanship and unique style. Legend: During the Kangxi period, Hui opera became popular in Wuyuan (part of Anhui). Once, Emperor Kangxi paid a private visit to the south of the Yangtze River incognito. He happened to catch a play on the open-air stage. Unfortunately, it was raining. Someone in the front row held an umbrella to block the view of the people in the back row. The impatient urchin hit him with stones. The stone hit the umbrella and bounced off, breaking an umbrella next to it. Emperor Kangxi felt strange and immediately asked someone to inquire. Result: The intact one was from A Road, while the broken one was from another place. Therefore, the folk song sang: "Porcelain in Jingdezhen, umbrellas in Jialu, silk in Hangzhou don't need to be picked." This shows the prosperity of that year. Following the footsteps of Huizhou merchants, they traveled throughout the Yangtze River Basin, selling well all over the country and becoming famous overseas. As early as the Jiaxu Year of Kangxi (1694), it had been listed in the "Goods Chapter" of "Wuyuan County Chronicles". In the 32nd year of the Republic of China (1943), there were 36 umbrella workshops on Jia Road, producing 252,000 umbrellas, of which more than 176,000 were exported. It was exhibited at the 1936 International Products Expo and won a gold medal. It was exhibited at the 1936 Guangdong, Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi Provinces Joint Exhibition of Specialty Products, and the 1943 Jiangxi Agricultural and Industrial Products Exhibition. It was well received by consumers at home and abroad.

Jialu oil-paper umbrellas are made of pure materials, selected from the finest bamboo, high-quality silk, silk, leather paper, tung oil, persimmon oil, etc.; the main processes are: material selection - sawing bamboo - planing - Split strips - Cut bones - Saw grooves - Drill holes - Saw gourds (umbrella shafts) - String gourds (combination) - Cook - Expose - Install handles - Install keys - Wind the umbrella - Mount the umbrella - Paste the edge of the umbrella - Painting - Collection Roll (shape) - thread the decorative thread - apply tung oil - set the handle - knot the top. The calligraphy and painting inscriptions on the umbrella surface are beautiful and elegant, suitable for rain or shine. They are durable daily necessities and also valuable arts and crafts.

In 1990, the national advanced cultural station - Jialu Cultural Station, "supported culture through work", restored the traditional umbrella making in Jialu. In October 1999, it was registered as Wuyuan County Jialu Craft Umbrella Co., Ltd. Traditional umbrella making, this excellent folk handicraft continues. Oil-paper umbrellas are indispensable daily necessities in ancient China. Due to geographical restrictions, there are many areas for umbrella manufacturing in China, such as ancient Huizhou (now Wuyuan, Jiangxi), Suzhou and Hangzhou, Luzhou, Sichuan, etc. Each has its own faction.

The founder of Zhuantang oil-paper umbrellas, Mr. Hu Songgui, is a native of Wuyuan, Jiangxi Province. He began to learn umbrella-making techniques in his youth and absorbed the essence of Huizhou umbrella-making techniques. By chance, I came into contact with the craftsmanship of Hangzhou silk umbrellas. Inspired by it, I combined the practicality of Huizhou oil-paper umbrellas with the beauty and ornamental value of Hangzhou silk umbrellas. Oil-paper umbrellas with specific Suzhou and Hangzhou characteristics have been formed.

The inheritors of Zhuantang oil-paper umbrella workshop insist on using traditional crafts to produce traditional ancient umbrellas. Select the finest bamboo wood, silk, leather paper, and tung oil, and follow the traditional process: selecting materials - sawing bamboo - planing - splitting - bone cutting - sawing grooves - drilling - sawing gourds - skewering gourds - cooking - exposure - handling - Assembling the key - winding the umbrella - mounting the umbrella - pasting the edge - painting - rolling - threading the decorative thread - applying tung oil - setting the handle - knotting the top (the delicate process is more than 80 steps).

Zhuantang insists on taking umbrellas as its foundation. Technically, it combines traditional handicrafts with modern manufacturing technology. Culturally, it combines traditional Chinese cultural crafts with modern fashion. Personally, it combines the artistry of its products. , combining craftsmanship, appreciation, collection and practicality. We should strive to be the inheritors and disseminators of ancient Chinese umbrellas and carry forward the culture of ancient Chinese umbrellas. Fuzhou

The oil-paper umbrella is one of the "Three Treasures of Fuzhou" (the other two are bodiless lacquerware and horn combs). It played an important role in the lives of people in Fuzhou, Fujian in the past. There is a local saying called "baggage umbrella" "It means that people who go out have umbrellas in their bags. Fuzhou's oil-paper umbrellas can be traced back to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Wang Shenzhi led his troops south to Fujian to establish the Fujian Kingdom. People from the Central Plains and Jiangsu and Zhejiang brought the umbrella-making craft to Fuzhou. The Qing Dynasty entered a period of prosperity. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, there were more than 300 umbrella shops in the city. During the boycott of Japanese products after the Revolution of 1911, Fuzhou citizens called the traditional Fuzhou oil-paper umbrellas "national umbrellas" and strongly advocated their use.

The materials used for Fuzhou oil-paper umbrellas must be high-quality materials produced locally or nearby. The umbrella ribs must be made of old bamboo from the green hills of northern Fujian that is more than five years old and has strong elasticity and toughness. An umbrella must be 80 years old. Three processes are required to complete the process. The Yang Changli Umbrella Shop on Zhongting Street is the most famous. It has the characteristics of "fine selection of materials, greasy coating, and elegant paintings." The bamboo used must be green mountain old bamboo, and the paper on the umbrella surface must be cotton paper specially made in Fujian Province. At the World Exposition held in Panama in 1915, the judges tested the "Double Happiness" paper umbrella produced by Yang Changli and found that it could withstand 1,170 times of repeated expansion and contraction without breaking, breaking the line, or cracking, and it could be blown by a Level 5 headwind for 20 The handle of the Minute Umbrella did not break and the ribs were intact. It was soaked in boiling water for a long time and the bones did not fall off and the paper did not rot. Therefore, it won the award of excellence. He also won an award at the Centennial Progress Exposition in Chicago in 1933.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, it was awarded the title of famous brand product by the Fuzhou Municipal People's Committee many times.

Fuzhou's traditional umbrella-making craftsmanship is divided into five arts: umbrella rib making, umbrella making, umbrella head, umbrella handle, and flower painting. Among them, although "umbrella making" is the mainstream, it only completes " Umbrella ribs, umbrella handles, umbrella heads, etc. must be purchased from elsewhere for processes such as umbrella embryo, oiling, and assembly. The best umbrella rib maker is the "Houzhou Gang". In the 1950s, the "Houzhou Gang" opened the green umbrella ribs and made them like a bamboo tube, with no gaps visible and no leakage when filled with water. The most famous maker of "umbrella handles" is the family of Wang Yiquan of Yangzhongting. The most famous umbrella painters are Cheng Jiabao, Lin Yongqin and Liu Mengqiu. Cheng Jiabao is good at calligraphy and painting, Lin Yongqin is good at painting flowers, birds and figures, and Liu Mengqiu is also famous for his "foreign landscapes".

During the Great Leap Forward, various local umbrella factories merged into the "Fuzhou Umbrella Factory". Soon due to competition from Wenzhou's imitation silk umbrellas, the factory sent Lin Yongqin to Wenzhou to learn skills and improved Fuzhou oil-paper umbrellas. Best-selling locally and in Southeast Asia. After the Cultural Revolution, due to the popularity of cloth umbrellas, Fuzhou oil-paper umbrellas shifted from practical products to handicrafts. In 1985, the oil-paper umbrellas produced by the factory were exported to Japan, Europe and Southeast Asia. Three years later, they withdrew from the European and Southeast Asian markets. They also improved the raw materials and technology of paper umbrellas. Each umbrella has 72 ribs, which are large when propped up but small when closed. It looks like a snake's waist, hence the name "snake umbrella".

In the 1990s, Lin Aizhi, leader of the Fuzhou Municipal Party Committee, went to Seattle, USA to participate in the World Umbrella Art Festival and displayed a big red umbrella, which caused a sensation in the audience. The Fuzhou Umbrella Factory closed down in 1997, and the paper umbrella industry in Fuzhou also declined. Currently, only one workshop in Ximen, Fuzhou continues to produce paper umbrellas and export them to Japan. Although some umbrella-making craftsmen have changed careers, they still hope to revitalize the umbrella-making industry and hope that the local government will support them.

Fujian Yangkou

Fujian Nanping Yangkou town oil-paper umbrella is one of the "three famous" paper umbrella brands in Fujian (the other two are Shuikou and Minqingkou). Production began at the beginning of the century, with the highest annual output reaching more than 50,000 pieces. Girls in southeastern Jiangxi used to be proud to have this umbrella with them when they got married. Starting in the 1970s, traditional oil-paper umbrellas were gradually replaced by new cloth umbrellas and folding umbrellas. The local production of umbrellas was changed from mainly practical umbrellas to the production of small, exquisite, light and beautiful umbrellas. Little flower umbrella. The umbrella surface is hand-painted with various patterns, and won the Fujian Province Hundred Flowers Award for Arts and Crafts in the 1980s. Currently exported to Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States. The umbrella industry in Xingyang Village, Tengchong, Yunnan has a history of more than 200 years and has been passed down for nine generations. It is also called "paper support". It is said that Zheng Yigong, the master of Tengyue City County Government, met two masters named Zhang and Zhou from West Street who knew how to make paper umbrellas when he was wandering around. He learned the craftsmanship from them and brought them back to his hometown. The oil-paper umbrellas produced locally in the past were passed down from generation to generation. Supply the entire western Yunnan market. There are many Hakka people living in the local area, and they like oil-paper umbrellas the most. Village chief Zheng Chuanguo said that 80% of the villagers in the village used to make paper umbrellas and other woven products, and they were passed down from generation to generation. Today, there are only four families left in the village who are still making oil-paper umbrellas, and there are only five people who can make them, three of whom are over seventy years old. At present, Zheng Jiachao's family has the best craftsmanship and is particular about the materials used. The natural tung oil and persimmon water in the paint are mixed according to ancient methods. The finished product is strong and beautiful, and only one or two can be made a day. The oil-paper umbrellas he made have won the Yunnan Provincial National People's Congress. Third Prize for Folk Art Artists. There are also large paper umbrellas made by Zheng Yinglou. In the past, merchants liked to place large paper umbrellas in front of their stores to protect them from rain and sun and attract business and customers, so they were also known as "photo shop umbrellas". They only make umbrellas during their leisure time.

The floral paper umbrellas produced here are of fine workmanship, bright colors, beautiful styles and good quality. They were once popular in Baoshan, Dali, Kunming and other places. From 1950 to 1951, 57 households were engaged in the business, with an annual output of 40,000 umbrellas. In 1952, there were 90 people in 60 households, and the annual output reached 30,000, of which large umbrellas accounted for 10%. In 1953, it embarked on the road of state-owned trade and cooperative processing, improved the specifications and quality, and increased the perimeter from four to six, making a profit that year ( Including tax) about 13,000 yuan. In 1954, there were 62 households with 92 people. A large number of products were sold to ethnic minority areas, Baoshan, county towns and exported to Myanmar. From 1958 to 1960, the state-owned Sanhua Factory produced small oil-paper umbrellas. After 1965, as cloth umbrellas and nylon umbrellas replaced oil-paper umbrellas as daily necessities, production of small oil-paper umbrellas was discontinued, and only a small number of large oil-paper umbrellas were sold to roadside stalls for use. The local paper umbrella industry once again attracted attention and resumed the production of small flower umbrellas as handicrafts, but the output was not large. On May 21, 2006, Zhou Te, director of the Cultural Industry Office of Tengchong County, and others inspected the local paper umbrella production base to seek ways to develop the industrialization of paper umbrellas. Local umbrella making is mainly to inherit folk crafts.

Paper umbrellas use moso bamboo produced in Yunhua, Guyong and other places and local wood as umbrella handles and ribs. The umbrella surface is covered with textured paper bought from Jietou and coated with Bazi oil or tung oil. Known as "Green Clothing", the process includes cutting the umbrella ribs, winding, mounting paper, applying persimmon water, closing the umbrella, drying the umbrella, painting, installing the umbrella handle, applying ripe tung oil, nailing the cloth head, wrapping the handle, threading the inner thread, etc., the average It takes about half a day to make an umbrella. Sanhe Ancient Town oil-paper umbrellas have a production history of more than 400 years. The production technology of Sanhe Ancient Town oil-paper umbrellas won the gold medal for design and production at the "8th China International Tourism Commodities Expo" in Wuhu in 2009.

The colors of the umbrellas in Sanhe Ancient Town are diverse. There are more than 20 kinds of dyeing alone. Some are crimson like the morning sun, some are blue and clear, and some are emerald green like clear water; some are single colors, or mixed colors, colorful .

On the beautiful umbrella surface, various techniques of brushing, spraying, and painting are used to depict the scenery of the ancient town, flowers, flowers, landscapes and other patterns, making the oil-paper umbrella of Sanhe Ancient Town even more beautiful and elegant.

The umbrella surface adopts the scenery of Sanhe Ancient Town, hence the name Sanhe Ancient Town Umbrella. The oil-paper umbrellas of Sanhe Ancient Town use dyeing, stickers, hand-painting, printing and other methods. They are painted with the eight scenes of the ancient town, small bridges, flowing water, people, Hui style courtyards, flowers, landscapes and ladies. There are bright red, maroon, peaceful blue, dark green, peach red and orange. There are more than 20 varieties including yellow, which have the characteristics of beautiful appearance, exquisite material selection and exquisite design.