Su Chengjun

01 · Lineage & Regional School

In 1986 he entered the Shucheng County Shu Mat Manufacturing Factory to learn bamboo-strip splitting and mat weaving under Wang Shoudao, Zhang Dingguo and other Shu mat weavers. Within the regional tradition and school record of Bamboo Weaving in Shucheng, Anhui: Shu mats are produced in the area of Shucheng County, Anhui Province. The locality lies between the Yangtze and Huai rivers, with a northern subtropical humid climate and much sandy soil, suitable for the growth of bamboo, and farming households have long had the custom of weaving bamboo mats. Today the Shucheng County Cultural Center undertakes the project’s protection and transmission work, and weaving is mostly carried out in family workshops. Shu mats were formerly known as “Longshu Tribute Mats”; after being offered as tribute they enjoyed great fame for a time, and since the late Qing dynasty they gradually became an important sideline for Shucheng farming households during the agricultural off-season, with material selection, strip scoring, and weaving divided among the household’s laborers. During the Tianshun era of the Ming dynasty, Shu mats were sent to the capital as tribute and were deeply praised by the emperor, thereby earning the fine reputation of “Longshu Tribute Mats.”

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

Male, of Han ethnicity, born in May 1969 in Shucheng County, Anhui Province. He later resigned and set up his own Shu mat weaving factory, whose products are exported to Southeast Asia, Korea, Japan and other markets. Building on traditional weaving techniques, he has tried to improve the processing of raw materials for Shu mats, working out the best season for harvesting the small-leaf water bamboo used for them, an equilateral-triangular even-splitting method for bamboo strips, and empirical criteria for boiling the strips, so that implements woven from the treated strips are durable and resist rot and insect damage. For many years he has persevered with Shu mat weaving and has taken part in numerous national and provincial exhibitions and demonstrations. Within the documented technical tradition of Bamboo Weaving in Shucheng, Anhui: Shucheng County in Anhui Province lies between the Yangtze and Huai rivers, with a northern subtropical humid climate and much sandy soil, which is suitable for the growth of bamboo. Among the people of Shucheng there has been a traditional skill of weaving bamboo mats since ancient times, and the long-famous Shu mat originated here. Shu mats have a long history: traces of bamboo mats have been found in Warring States-period tombs within Shucheng, and complete bamboo mats were once excavated from Western Han tombs, whose texture and craftsmanship are basically the same as those of Shu mats of later times. Shu mats are made with water bamboo as the raw material, small-leaf water bamboo being especially good for weaving. From the selection of materials to the finished mat, fifteen process steps are required: cutting materials, opening the bamboo, splitting strips, trimming the ends, scoring strips, removing the yellow layer, tearing evenly, steaming and boiling, dyeing, scraping strips, drawing designs, making patterns, weaving, finishing the edges, and inspection. The finished Shu mats are bright in color, soft and smooth, with fine strip patterns; they do not break when folded or rolled, and are easy to carry. Traditional Shu mat products were mainly sleeping mats; in modern times new varieties have been developed, including tatami mats, pillow mats, children’s mats, cushion mats, sofa-cover mats, mats woven with figure and calligraphy paintings, mural mats, and tea-table mats. They are not only a practical summer commodity but also an elegant handicraft: calligraphy and paintings, ancient and modern, can all be woven into the mats, and the resulting images are natural and beautiful, breathtaking to behold. Because Shu mat production is technically difficult and the apprenticeship period long, young people are unwilling to learn and inherit it. At present the weaving technicians of Shucheng are growing old, and Shu mat production lacks successors; there is an urgent hope that relevant parties will take effective measures to ensure the smooth transmission of this outstanding folk craft. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Archival Record of Working Procedures": From the selection of materials to the finished mat, fifteen process steps are required: cutting materials, opening the bamboo, splitting strips, trimming the ends, scoring strips, removing the yellow layer, tearing evenly, steaming and boiling, dyeing, scraping strips, drawing designs, making patterns, weaving, finishing the edges, and inspection. "The fifteen steps of Shu mats": From small-leaf water bamboo, a Shu mat passes through fifteen steps from cutting to final inspection, and rolls up without cracking. "Calligraphy and painting woven into mats": Calligraphy and paintings can be woven into the mats; besides sleeping mats, the makers now produce cushions, wall panels and picture mats.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

He is a representative bearer of Bamboo Weaving (Shu Mats), a fifth-batch national intangible cultural heritage project.

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. Su Chengjun · National Representative Bearer Archive