Xiangbao
01 · Historical Records
Sachets, also known as "xiangnang" and "xiangying," and commonly called "xiangbudai" and "liaobudai," are traditional worn ornaments, and the custom of making and wearing them dates back a long time. Xuzhou, known in ancient times as Pengcheng, lies at the junction of the four provinces of Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan and Anhui, where northern and southern customs meet; among the people there was long a custom of using sachets to ward off foul air, offer blessings and give as gifts to one another. The sachet-making technique circulating in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, was formed in this folk soil and gradually merged everyday practicality with ornamental display, giving it a distinctive character that has won wide acclaim.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Sachets are also known as "xiangnang" and "xiangying," and are commonly called "xiangbudai" and "liaobudai"; they are traditional worn ornaments, and the custom of making and wearing sachets in China dates back a long time. The sachet-making technique circulating in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, has a distinctive character and is widely acclaimed. Xuzhou sachets combine practicality with ornamental appeal in one: their forms are plain, their patterns exquisite, their colors gorgeous, and their stitching neat and meticulous. The herbal medicine packed inside can repel mosquitoes, prevent dampness, purify the air and ward off illness. Xuzhou sachets come in rich shapes and forms, including hearts, circles, diamonds, ingots, butterflies, vases, water drops, rectangles, human figures and dolls. Exterior patterns mostly adopt traditional festive and auspicious themes such as dragon and phoenix bringing auspiciousness, mandarin ducks playing in water, pine and crane prolonging life, and magpies making merry in the plum blossoms, embodying people's fine wishes for good fortune, protection from evil and blessings, and abundance of food and clothing. With economic development and rising living standards, the themes of Xuzhou sachets are also changing, and works have appeared depicting opera masks, the Cloth-Bag Monk, the qilin delivering a son, Guanyin bringing blessings, the culture of the Western and Eastern Han dynasties, and cartoon dolls. As society has changed, traditional folk customs have gradually faded from modern life, and sachets are no longer treasured as they once were. With the rapid development and spread of machine-sewing technology, artisans who master the traditional sachet-making skill are becoming increasingly rare, and the Xuzhou sachet craft is on the verge of extinction, urgently needing excavation and protection.
Shapes of the Xuzhou sachet
The Xuzhou sachet comes in heart, round, lozenge, ingot, butterfly, vase, teardrop, rectangular and doll shapes.
Auspicious motifs
Its outer patterns use auspicious themes such as dragon and phoenix, mandarin ducks, pine and crane, and magpies among plum blossoms.
New subject matter
As living standards rose, new subjects appeared, from opera facial masks and the Laughing Buddha to Han-dynasty culture and cartoon figures.
Herbal filling
Stuffed with Chinese herbs that repel mosquitoes, absorb damp and purify the air, the sachet serves both as personal ornament and household display.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The transmission of Xuzhou sachets relies mainly on family and master-apprentice teaching. The Xuzhou Cultural Center is the protection unit, responsible for visiting veteran artisans, organizing patterns and motifs, and arranging training sessions and sales exhibitions. The sachets come in various shapes — hearts, circles, diamonds, ingots, butterflies, vases, water drops, rectangles, human figures and dolls. Exterior patterns mostly draw on traditional festive and auspicious themes such as dragon and phoenix bringing auspiciousness, mandarin ducks playing in water, pine and crane prolonging life, and magpies making merry in the plum blossoms, embodying people's fine wishes for good fortune, protection from evil and blessings, and abundance of food and clothing; the stitching is neat and meticulous.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Qingyangxiangbaoxiuzhi.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Xuzhou sachets combine practicality with ornamental appeal in one; the herbal medicine packed inside can repel mosquitoes, prevent dampness, purify the air and ward off illness, and the sachets are a material witness to the exchange of northern and southern folk customs and to the folk embroidery craft. As traditional folk customs gradually fade from modern life, the everyday use of sachets has declined; with the rapid development and spread of machine-sewing technology, artisans who master the traditional sachet-making skill are becoming increasingly rare, and this craft is already on the verge of extinction, urgently needing excavation, protection and living transmission.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- He Meiying 01-0087
- Jing Qiuhong
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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