Straw weaving (hukou grass dragon)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: cursive (hukou caolong)

Applicant: Hukou County, Jiangxi Province

Project No.: 830

Project No.: Ⅶ - 54

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Jiangxi Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Hukou County, Jiangxi Province

Protection unit: Hukou Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Research Association

Introduction to straw weaving (hukou grass dragon)

Applicant: Hukou County, Jiangxi Province

Straw weaving is a traditional weaving craft with herbs as the main raw materials. As one of the oldest skills of human beings, as early as in ancient times, weaving has become an important means for Chinese ancestors to make practical goods. Straw weaving has been popular among Chinese people for thousands of years, and has been carried forward in this process. Folk craftsmen all over the country made full use of the flexible stems, skins, cores, leaves and roots of herbaceous plants to create and summarize rich weaving techniques such as weaving, tying, braiding, buckling, tying, twisting, winding, netting, stringing and plate, making straw weaving an important source of daily necessities for the general public. China is rich in herbaceous plant resources, and there are many suitable raw materials for weaving in the north and south, so there are many kinds of straw weaving in different places, and each has its own local characteristics. Straw products are mainly made of straw mat, straw curtain, straw mat, straw basket, straw fan, straw hat, straw shoes and other practical goods, and some are also used as ornaments for display. Since 1840s, straw weaving has been sold abroad. Since the middle of the 20th century, due to the needs of modern life, straw weaving has developed rapidly, with more and more varieties. As a very popular traditional handicraft among Chinese people, straw weaving has a broad mass base and strong practicability and artistry.

Hukou grass dragon, commonly known as "Gulong", is a popular folk grass binding technique in Hukou County, Jiangxi Province. Hukou caolong has a long history. It is said that it originated in the Sui and Tang Dynasties and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. According to the local custom, after the autumn harvest every year, people use straw to tie caolongsuan village to celebrate the harvest. Since then, Hukou caolong has been developing in the direction of refinement, and professional artists have emerged from generation to generation. Born at the end of the 19th century, Zhou Yongfa was the pioneer of the delicacy of Hukou caolong. Hukou grass dragon is mainly made of straw and bamboo. The whole dragon is composed of odd segments, usually 9 to 21 segments. The process of straw dragon weaving is very complicated. More than ten kinds of techniques such as weaving, inserting, weaving, inlaying, inlaying, winding, winding, hanging, hanging, hollowing, parting, picking, carving and penetrating are used before and after the weaving. The finished product is required to be natural and vivid, simple and elegant, without artificial traces, which perfectly reflects the solemn and dignified bearing of Ruilong. When the grass dragon plays, the dancers need to put on neat and bright clothes, and the golden children and jade girls hold dragon lanterns to lead the way. During the procession, they perform thrilling acrobatics or make funny moves according to the situation. The sound and laughter are endless, which is a lively and lively scene. Hukou caolong is a combination of folk dance, acrobatics, music, fine arts and handicrafts. It has high artistic value and is worthy of study in folklore, sociology and folk art.