Xiabu Weaving Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
Xiabu (grass cloth) production can be traced back to the late Eastern Jin; in the Tang dynasty xiabu was listed as tribute, and the xiabu produced in Wanzai, Jiangxi, and Rongchang, Sichuan, are the principal representatives. Wanzai xiabu is typical of Jiangxi's traditional handmade cloth; it originated in the Eastern Jin and has a history of more than 1,500 years to this day. Rongchang xiabu has a long history: in the Han dynasty it was called "Shu cloth"; in the Tang and Song dynasties it was "ban cloth" and "tong cloth", used mainly as tribute. In the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty it was produced as a commodity, and was later sold beyond the province and even as far as Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia, becoming a famous traditional handicraft of Rongchang.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Because the newly woven hemp yarn is round in cross-section, it is also called "round-yarn xiabu". Compared with the flat-yarn xiabu of other regions, its texture is better, the hemp finer, and it is more durable. This xiabu is of fine quality, with even, flat edges, uniform weaving, and a clear, elegant color; it is highly breathable, cool and sweat-wicking, does not wrinkle or deform, washes easily, and grows whiter with each washing; it is a purely handmade, purely eco-friendly product that causes no pollution to the human body or the environment. From ramie to xiabu, the entire production process divides mainly into three parts - ramie cultivation, raw material preparation, and xiabu making - comprising dozens of process steps. Wanzai xiabu can be used to make garments, bed curtains, and craft articles, and can also serve as a ground for inscribing poems and painting. Rongchang County lies in the west of Chongqing Municipality, and xiabu weaving is mainly distributed in Panlong Town of the county. Rongchang Panlong Town xiabu uses ramie as its raw material; the finished goods fall into three main categories: fine cloth, coarse cloth, and ribbed cloth. Its production process includes steps such as beating the hemp, winding hemp balls, winding hemp taro-like bundles, drawing the threads, threading the heddles, brushing on sizing, weaving, rinsing, shaping, and print-washing; the woven xiabu is fine and even, lustrous and smooth, and strong and durable. Owing to the nature of hemp, this cloth is easy to wash and quick to dry after wearing; it is simple and elegant, handsome and generous, cool and sweat-absorbing, and comfortable - a superior material for summer clothing. At present, machine-made synthetic cloth is increasingly common, while the ramie used as raw material for traditional xiabu is dwindling; profits from xiabu production are falling ever lower, and many people are unwilling to engage in this laborious handicraft, while the printing and dyeing techniques for xiabu also lack successors.
Archival record of process steps
From ramie to xiabu, the entire production process divides mainly into three parts - ramie cultivation, raw material preparation, and xiabu making - comprising dozens of process steps.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Wanzai xiabu is divided into four types by specification, five grades by quality, and five classes by rank.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Xiabu Weaving Craftsmanship.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Under these circumstances, China's xiabu weaving technique faces the danger of dying out and awaits rescue and protection. Yan Kunji (official archival record of an associated inheritor): Representative inheritor of the xiabu weaving technique, a third national-level batch intangible cultural heritage project. He began winding hemp taro-like bundles at the age of eight, started weaving at twelve, and by fifteen was weaving and selling on his own; for more than eighty years he worked in xiabu weaving, accumulating rich experience. He has mastered the xiabu weaving techniques of joining yarn ends and hemp thread heads, drawing threads, brushing on sizing, and weaving at the loom. His xiabu weaving skill is highly refined, especially in heddle threading and sizing; even if local damage occurs during weaving, he can repair it without leaving a trace. Through the singing of xiabu sacred songs, he enables the historical background and cultural connotations of the xiabu weaving technique to be understood and passed on. For many years he has actively taught the xiabu weaving technique to younger generations and local people. Male, Han ethnicity, born January 1930, died August 2019, from Chongqing.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Song Shuya 03-1361
- Yan Kunji 03-1362
- Li Jiankang 05-2803
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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