Zhang Hua
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Zhang Hua, Male, Han, from Hedong, Tianjin, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Juzhuangxiju Making Craftsmanship (Ⅷ-82). The tradition is documented in Hedong, Tianjin. Within the regional tradition and school record of Juzhuangxiju Making Craftsmanship in Hedong, Tianjin: The craft of making theatrical boots is a component of the broader craft of theatrical costume and prop making; Tianjin's theatrical-boot craft originated from the development of Tianjin's theatre. Its making accords with the stage habits of the various northern operatic genres, with thick-sole, fast-boot (kuaixue), and chaofang (audience-boot) styles all complete. The characteristics of Tianjin theatrical boots are manifested in three respects—the raw materials used, the making procedures, and the quality standards: first, Tianjin theatrical boots use purely natural materials. Since the establishment of the guard and the founding of the city in 1404 AD, Tianjin rapidly rose as a commercial hub. As its economy gradually developed, opera and quyi (folk vocal arts) flourished, and theatrical 'wardrobe' items such as opera costumes, kuitou, and opera boots developed accordingly.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Zhang Hua is anchored in the documented technical standards of Juzhuangxiju Making Craftsmanship in Hedong, Tianjin. Within the documented technical tradition of Juzhuangxiju Making Craftsmanship in Hedong, Tianjin: The craft of making theatrical boots is a component of the broader craft of theatrical costume and prop making; Tianjin's theatrical-boot craft originated from the development of Tianjin's theatre. The characteristics of Tianjin theatrical boots are manifested in three respects: the raw materials used, the making procedures, and the quality standards. First, Tianjin theatrical boots use purely natural materials. The upper fabric is pure-silk satin produced in Hangzhou; the lining is pure cotton cloth; the sole uses a special paper; and the sole leather is high-grade cowhide—handsome, sturdy, and durable. When making the upper, one first lays out the material, cuts it, glues on the lining, glues on the face fabric, then—as needed—produces various decorative patterns, dries them in the sun, and stitches them. Sole making includes making the stitching base thread (twisted from 24 fine hemp strands), cutting the sole support, and more than 40 other process steps, after which the boots are arranged, shaped, and air-dried, and the sole is brushed with white powder. Every process step has strict quality standards and is completed entirely by hand. To ensure the on-stage performance effect, every pair of opera boots is custom-made according to the actor's foot shape and requirements, so each work is 'unique.' After nearly a century of transmission, the trade has summed up four characteristics, namely the 'Four Strictnesses': strictly pure handwork, strict procedures, strict coordination with the character's makeup and costume, and strict adherence to the actor's requirements in making. The Tianjin theatrical-boot craft has a history of over a hundred years. It lets theatrical actors—especially renowned Peking opera performers—'shine at the feet,' lending traditional operatic performance richer artistic flavor, and has contributed to the prosperous development of Chinese theatrical art. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "": "Archival Record of Process Steps": The characteristics of Tianjin theatrical boots are manifested in three respects: the raw materials used, the making procedures, and the quality standards.
Archival Record of Process Steps
The characteristics of Tianjin theatrical boots are manifested in three respects: the raw materials used, the making procedures, and the quality standards.
Core Technique I
The craft of making theatrical boots is a component of the broader craft of theatrical costume and prop making;
Core Technique II
Tianjin's theatrical-boot craft originated from the development of Tianjin's theatre.
Core Technique III
The characteristics of Tianjin theatrical boots are manifested in three respects: the raw materials used, the making procedures, and the quality standards.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Zhang Hua was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Juzhuangxiju Making Craftsmanship, with Hedong, Tianjin as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Juzhuangxiju Making Craftsmanship in Hedong, Tianjin: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Hedong, Tianjin as its declared area, and Tianjin Hedong District Cultural Center (Tianjin Hedong District Wen Wu Safeguarding Center) as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
Since the establishment of the guard and the founding of the city in 1404 AD, Tianjin rapidly rose as a commercial hub. As its economy gradually developed, opera and quyi (folk vocal arts) flourished, and theatrical 'wardrobe' items such as opera costumes, kuitou, and opera boots developed accordingly.
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.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Li Rongsen | Suzhou, Jiangsu | 01-0194 | Other regional school |
| Sun Ying | Beijingjuzhuangchang | 03-1340 | Other regional school |
| Li Jizong | Xicheng, Beijing | — | Other regional school |
| Zhang Hua | Hedong, Tianjin | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。