Hu Jinlong

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Hu Jinlong, Male, Han, from Haining, Zhejiang, is a fifth-batch national representative bearer of Lantern Art (Ⅶ-50). The tradition is documented in Haining, Zhejiang. Within the regional tradition and school record of Lantern Art in Haining, Zhejiang: Xiashi lanterns are popular with Xiashi Town, Haining City, as their center. As early as the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty, the locality already distinguished performance lanterns (yandeng), procession lanterns (shundeng), and contest lanterns (doudeng): performance lanterns displayed their artistry in the street, procession lanterns were lit in sequence following the order of the lanes and alleys, and contest lanterns saw the various wards and shops vie for supremacy; lantern festivals such as the 'Pagoda Lantern' of Xiadong Street, the 'Soaring Pavilion' at Henggang Bridge, and the 'Plum Pavilion' of Hengtou appeared in endless succession. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the making and parading of lanterns among the people of Xiashi grew still more popular. Lantern craftsmen each specialized in particular lantern types, and new designs such as the 'Dragon Boat' and 'Lotus-picking Boat' emerged; lanterns thus expanded from seasonal hangings to crafts kept on display year-round. As early as the Qianfu era (874-879) of Emperor Xizong of the Tang dynasty, Xiashi lanterns were already renowned throughout the Jiangnan region, and in the Southern Song they were listed as tribute articles for the imperial court. During the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty, Xiashi saw the grand spectacles of performance lanterns (yandeng), procession lanterns (shundeng), and contest lanterns (doudeng); lantern festivals such as the 'Pagoda Lantern' of Xiadong Street, the 'Soaring Pavilion' at Henggang Bridge, and the 'Plum Pavilion' of Hengtou appeared in endless succession. From the late 19th to the early 20th century, the making and parading of lanterns flourished among the people of Xiashi, with considerable breakthroughs in craftsmanship and form; new varieties such as the 'Dragon Boat' and 'Lotus-picking Boat' lanterns appeared.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

Male, of Han ethnicity, born in January 1953 in Haining, Zhejiang Province. He is an arts and crafts artist and a Zhejiang provincial master of arts and crafts. In 1980 he began studying the making of Xiashi colored lanterns under Mr. Sun Weijun, and came to master all eight traditional techniques: needling, bending, knotting, binding, carving, pasting, mounting and painting. In 1982 he formed the spare-time lantern group of the trade union at the Haining Cement Plant. In 1992 he took part in establishing the Haining Xiashi Colored Lantern Craft Cooperative and served as its director and technical supervisor. Within the documented technical tradition of Lantern Art in Haining, Zhejiang: Xiashi lanterns are mainly transmitted in Xiashi Town, Haining City, Zhejiang Province. Xiashi lanterns are famous for their needle-pricked designs; the finished works are finely made and splendid, delicately wrought and translucent. The lantern body uses xuan paper, bamboo strips, and lead wire as its principal materials, and involves eight major techniques: painting, bending, carving, binding, needle-pricking, mounting, pasting, and tying. Once lit from within, the lantern projects a lifelike, vivid three-dimensional picture. The current principal inheritor of the Xiashi lantern-making craft is Hu Jinlong. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "The eight techniques of Xieshi lanterns": Made of xuan paper, bamboo splints and lead wire, it requires eight skills: painting, bending, carving, tying, needle-pricking, mounting, pasting and knotting. "Picture revealed by the light": Needle-pricking is its signature skill: light passes through the pierced holes and forms a lifelike, translucent picture. "The five lantern types": Finished lanterns fall into five types: pedestal, hand-held, wall, hanging and gift lanterns; Chen Weiyan added the teapot lantern in 1997. "The Pizi Pavilion and Ziwei Tower lanterns": Hu Jinlong learned the eight techniques from Sun Weijun in 1980; his Pizi Pavilion and Ziwei Tower lanterns won prizes at national folk craft fairs.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

He is a representative bearer of Lantern Art (Xiashi Colored Lanterns), a fifth-batch national intangible cultural heritage project. In 1998 he was appointed a part-time teacher at Haining Vocational High School and has repeatedly helped run specialized training courses in Xiashi colored lantern making, carrying out safeguarding and transmission activities. His works have been exhibited and won awards on many occasions; Pinzi Ting Deng (Triple-Pavilion Lantern) and Ziwei Ge Deng (Ziwei Pavilion Lantern) won awards at the China Folk Arts and Crafts Expo held by the Chinese Folk Literature and Art Association.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Hu Jinlong · National Representative Bearer Archive