Ligaotang Making Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
The craft of making pear syrup candy began in the old walled town of Shanghai. At the time the common people had no money to see a doctor, so they boiled Chinese medicinal herbs, sugar and pear juice together into pear syrup candy to keep well and cure illness; being cheap and good, it became widely popular. In the fifth year of the Xianfeng reign of the Qing dynasty (1855 CE), the first pear syrup candy shop was opened at the Old Temple of the City God in Shanghai, named 'Zhupinzhai'; afterwards 'Yongshengtang' and 'Deshentang' were opened as well. At the time of joint state-private management in 1956, the three pear syrup candy shops merged into the Shanghai Pear Syrup Candy Food Factory. Cao Derong, one of the founders, combined the three families' private secret recipes and the essence of their making techniques, and kept carrying forward the craft through the form of master leading apprentice; it has now been transmitted to the fourth generation.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The craft of making Shanghai pear syrup candy is one of the important expressions of Shanghai's traditional food culture. This craft was born in Huangpu District in the centre of Shanghai, first circulating in the old walled town, Caojiadu and Zhabei, and later spreading continuously with the Old Temple of the City God as its core area, gradually reaching every district and county of Shanghai and radiating to the surrounding areas. Pear syrup candy, which relieves coughs and dispels phlegm and is affordable, is much loved in Shanghai, and its pleasing making craft was watched and absorbed by the local people, passed down from generation to generation and imperceptibly merged into daily life. The craft of making pear syrup candy consists of more than ten process steps, including mixing the ingredients, boiling the sugar, sanding, pouring the sugar, levelling the sugar, scoring the sugar, brushing the sugar, turning the sugar, breaking the sugar and packaging; the technique is complex, the handling fairly difficult, and the process highly watchable. Among these, boiling the sugar is the hardest step, requiring even stirring and keen observation so that the sugar is neither overdone nor underdone; the distinctive sanding step gives pear syrup candy its particular crumbly lightness; the even and smooth surface of the poured sugar comes from a calm and meticulous hand; precise scoring requires that as the knife falls the mind is at peace and there is a measure in the heart; breaking the sugar must be firm within gentleness, neither broken nor shattered; and the traditional paper wrapping was at the time also the secret of extending the shelf life of pear syrup candy. Pear syrup candy made by this craft is sweet as honey, light and crumbly, neither sticky nor cloying, and is deeply loved by the people. The pear syrup candy of the Old Temple of the City God, with a history of more than 160 years, is one of Shanghai's traditional local products. With the development of Shanghai's urbanisation and a great deal of cultural promotion activity, the pear syrup candy-making craft gradually became popular in the Jiangnan region as well. The craft of making pear syrup candy is closely bound up with the daily life of the local people, and its making process is highly watchable; the characteristic of pear syrup candy artisans, 'three parts selling candy, seven parts selling song', also drove the development of Shanghai's performing-arts culture. The cultural expressions associated with pear syrup candy have gradually entered the daily life and spiritual bloodstream of the people of Shanghai; protecting the pear syrup candy-making craft plays a positive role in carrying forward Shanghai's regional culture, food culture and traditional Chinese medicine culture.
Archival Records of Process Steps
The craft of making pear syrup candy consists of more than ten process steps, including mixing the ingredients, boiling the sugar, sanding, pouring the sugar, levelling the sugar, scoring the sugar, brushing the sugar, turning the sugar, breaking the sugar and packaging; the technique is complex, the handling fairly difficult, and the process highly watchable.
Judging the sugar in the pan
The hardest stage: sugar, pear juice and herbs are boiled together, stirred evenly while the cook watches for the moment the colour turns, since deeper means overdone and uneven means underdone.
Sanding and pouring
Sanding gives the candy its crumbly looseness, while pouring depends on laying the syrup flat from the centre outward; one needs strength in the hand, the other composure.
Scoring and breaking
Scoring must be calm and measured, and only when the candy has set; breaking must be firm yet gentle so the pieces come away square and unbroken.
The three old shops of the Temple of the Town God
The first shop at the Temple of the Town God in 1855 was Zhupinzhai, followed by Yongshengtang and Deshengtang; the three family recipes were combined into one factory in 1956, the beginning of what survives today.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The craft of making Shanghai pear syrup candy started in the old walled town of Huangpu District and first circulated in the area of the old town, Caojiadu and Zhabei; afterwards it spread outward with the Old Temple of the City God at its centre, gradually reaching every district and county of Shanghai, and with urban change and cultural promotion it became popular in the Jiangnan region as well. In the fifth year of the Xianfeng reign of the Qing, the Old Temple of the City God saw the opening of the first pear syrup candy shop, followed by several more; by the joint state-private management of 1956 the various shops merged into one factory, combined in a single furnace. Apothecaries, medicine stalls and temple fairs existed side by side here, and the old method of boiling Chinese medicinal herbs together with pear juice was itself a way of keeping well handed down among the townspeople from generation to generation.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The survival of the pear syrup candy-making craft rests on the everyday demand of the town and on its watchable making process: the steps of boiling the sugar, sanding, pouring the sugar, scoring the sugar and breaking the sugar are all visible and audible, and the local people watched and absorbed them, passing them down from generation to generation. The artisans also sang as they walked the streets and lanes, 'three parts selling candy, seven parts selling song', which incidentally also held up the scene of Shanghai's performing arts. The pear syrup candy they made relieves coughs and dispels phlegm and is affordable in price; in the old days, when ordinary townspeople fell ill, this was the first thing they thought of. The craft has now been transmitted to the fourth generation, and both its watchability and its usefulness rest on this.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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