Wang Wenqi
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Wang Wenqi, Male, Li, from Baotinglizumiaozuzizhi, Hainan, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Li Shupibu Making Craftsmanship (Ⅷ-84). The tradition is documented in Baotinglizumiaozuzizhi, Hainan. Within the regional tradition and school record of Li Shupibu Making Craftsmanship in Baotinglizumiaozuzizhi, Hainan: The Li bark cloth on Hainan Island is distributed mainly in the central and southern Li-concentrated areas, including the cities of Sanya, Wuzhishan, and Dongfang, and the counties of Qiongzhong, Baoting, Lingshui, Ledong, Changjiang, and Baisha. The origin of the Li people's bark-cloth culture in Baoting County can be traced back to the Stone Age. From the book Dongguan Hanji by Pei Zhou of the Jin dynasty it is known that by the Han dynasty there were already records of making caps from bark cloth, and at that time border minority groups also used bark cloth to make clothing and bedding.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Wang Wenqi is anchored in the documented technical standards of Li Shupibu Making Craftsmanship in Baotinglizumiaozuzizhi, Hainan. Within the documented technical tradition of Li Shupibu Making Craftsmanship in Baotinglizumiaozuzizhi, Hainan: Bark cloth is also called nabu, chupi bu (paper-mulberry-bark cloth), or gupi bu (mulberry-bark cloth). The chuguan (paper-mulberry cap) and gubu yi (mulberry-cloth clothing) referred to in ancient documents are clothing and headwear products made from bark. Before the forebears wove with hemp and kapok, they went through a fairly long 'non-textile' period, during which the clothing used to cover the body was mainly this coarse-fibered 'bark cloth.' After the Li forebears on Hainan Island mastered cotton-weaving technology, bark cloth did not completely yield to hemp and cotton products; some still used paper-mulberry bark to make household items such as mats, clothing, and waistbands. This was mainly because bark material was abundant and easy to gather, the Li had become quite skilled at the craft, and the finished products were very durable. The Li region has many kinds of bark suitable for processing, such as houpishu (thick-bark tree), huangjiushu, jiandushu (arrow-poison tree), and gou tree (paper mulberry); among these the gou tree was anciently called 'shu' and is scientifically named Broussonetia papyrifera. The Li's 'sewing bark into clothing' has seven steps: strip the bark, trim it, soak the bark in water to remove gum, rinse, sun-dry, beat it into sheets, and sew. People use the processed bark cloth to cut and sew household items such as caps, pillows, quilts, jackets, skirts, egg-pocket cloth, and pouches. Although this craft is divided into several process steps, it uses few tools, of which the pounding tool is the most important. The stone beater is the implement for making bark cloth and also the emblem of bark-cloth culture. In the Li region, the younger generation no longer knows what bark cloth is. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Archival Record of Process Steps": Although this craft is divided into several process steps, it uses few tools, of which the pounding tool is the most important.
Archival Record of Process Steps
Although this craft is divided into several process steps, it uses few tools, of which the pounding tool is the most important.
Core Technique I
Bark cloth is also called nabu, chupi bu (paper-mulberry-bark cloth), or gupi bu (mulberry-bark cloth).
Core Technique II
The chuguan (paper-mulberry cap) and gubu yi (mulberry-cloth clothing) referred to in ancient documents are clothing and headwear products made from bark.
Core Technique III
Before the forebears wove with hemp and kapok, they went through a fairly long 'non-textile' period, during which the clothing used to cover the body was mainly this coarse-fibered 'bark cloth.' After the Li forebears on Hainan Island mastered cotton-weaving technology, bark cloth did not completely yield to hemp and cotton products;
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Wang Wenqi was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Li Shupibu Making Craftsmanship, with Baotinglizumiaozuzizhi, Hainan as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Li Shupibu Making Craftsmanship in Baotinglizumiaozuzizhi, Hainan: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2006 (batch 1), with Baotinglizumiaozuzizhi, Hainan as its declared area, and Baoting Li Miao Autonomous County Cultural 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
The origin of the Li people's bark-cloth culture in Baoting County can be traced back to the Stone Age. From the book Dongguan Hanji by Pei Zhou of the Jin dynasty it is known that by the Han dynasty there were already records of making caps from bark cloth, and at that time border minority groups also used bark cloth to make clothing and bedding.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huang Yunying | Baotinglizumiaozuzizhi, Hainan | 03-1341 | Same declared area |
| Wang Wenqi | Baotinglizumiaozuzizhi, Hainan | — | 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。