The Spring Festival is the most important traditional festival in China.

    The 2017 Spring Festival is extremely important for Gallous, a British man who has taught in an English training school in Qingdao, because after the festival he is going to become a son-in-law of Qingdao. Therefore in his mind, the Spring Festival is not just related to pasting spring couplets, eating dumplings and celebrating the Lantern Festival. More importantly he needs to learn about Qingdao indigenous customs for spring festival as much as possible in order to get himself localized. Fiona, a teacher in Chinese who has partnered with Gallous for 6 years, instinctively becomes a “walking dictionary” for him and explains to him in details the folk culture “made in Qingdao”.

    Qingdao Kezi

    The first thing Fiona recommends to Gallous is Qingdao Kezi. “On Christmas Day, every British household makes gingerbread house. However in northern China, when the lunar New Year comes, all households make patterned steam buns. The tool used to make patterned buns is called the Kezi (moulds) for making steamed buns. Between all the Qingdao Kezi, Gecun in Jimo is the most famous. Wang Chenghou，the inheritor, has engaged in making Kezi for over three decades. The patterns he can carve out include lotus, tiger, lion, Kylin, pomegranate, cicada, swallow, the Chinese character Fu (Blessing), Shou (Longevity) and Xi (Happiness), shoe-shaped ingot, and cooper cash. If they are baked, people are so reluctant to eat them.” Fiona is explaining to Gallous the subtlety of Qingdao Kezi. She also advises Gallous to buy a Qinddao Kezi to make an oven of bread with a combination of Chinese and Western elements by the means of western baking.

    New Year wood-block print

    The New Year wood-block print of Zong Jia Zhang, Ping Du, is a Qingdao folk customs Fiona has recently paid attention to. She is very astounded at the impeccable skills of Zong Jia Zhang New Year wood-block print. “Among the British handicrafts, silverware and pipes can be regarded as unique crafts. Unexpected our Qingdao New Year wood block could also have such a charm. Thousands of new year wood-block prints have been sold abroad.” As a native in Qingdao, Fiona regrets that she hasn’t encountered sooner Zong Jia Zhang New Year wood-block print and there are many vivid images such as 108 heroes in the Water Margin, the God of Wealth, the Kitchen God, and a cherubic kid hugging a big fish in his arms. She must recommend it to Gallous and let him feel the unique charm of this Qingdao handicraft.”

    As expected, Gallous is fascinated by the romantic charm of Zong Jia Zhang New Year wood-block print. According to certain data, Zong Jia Zhang is located 1 Li (Chinese Unit) from the west suburb of the city of Pingdu. Zong Chengyun, who is the inheritor of the 7th generation of the third batch of Shandong provincial intangible cultural heritage, has the “essence and blood” of Zong Jia Zhang New Year wood-block print, over 150 sets and 400 pieces of wood blocks passed from Qing Dynasty.

    The daughter-in-law of Zong Chengyun has introduced to us the birth and development of Zong Jia Zhang New Year wood-block print. Zong Jia Zhang New Year wood-block print originates from Qing Dynasty. At that time when the ancestors of Zong family went to Weifang to visit friends, they brought in the New Year pictures. At the very beginning, Zong Jia Zhang New Year print imitated the style of Yang Jia Bu. After a few years’ development, it started to accumulate its own skills. Different from Yang Jia Bu New Year Pictures characterized by large pieces of red and green, the Zong Jia Zhuang New Year Pictures sell well in the north Chinese rural New Year Pictures market for its delicacy and simple images. Thereout Zong Jia Zhuang has become one of the top three famous places for New Year Pictures together with Yang Liu Qing in Tianjin and Yang Jia Bu in Weifang. In the past, New Year wood-block picture were the most widely used art form in Chinese villages. On New Year’s Day or other festivals, farmers paste “Door-god”, “Doorman”, “Window top” and “Window side” to act as auspicious tokens. Zong Qingyun has been insisting on this folk art. However he also has realized that if he just carries on the art according to the traditional way without any change, this folk art will have no way further. Therefore he tried selling New Year pictures in album. To his surprise, over 10,000 pictures have been sold in 100 countries and regions. In addition, he also invited professors from art academies to design the pictures into facial makeup in Peking Opera and historical stories and he has created many editions including “108 heroes in the Water Margin” and “Pictures about 24 obedient and dutiful sons”. In recent years, with the support of the cultural propaganda department of Pingdu and Liyuan Street, the New Year wood-block print of Zong Chengyun team has enjoyed fame overseas.

    Boli Red Mat

    After seeing Gallous’ curious facial expression at the half-comprehended development of Zong Jia Zhang New Year wood-block print, Fiona tells him, among Qingdao traditional new year cultural purchases, there are also paper cut art in Laixi, Huangdao, Jimo and Laoshan and Boli red mat, a kind of intangible cultural heritage. There is an old saying, “If there is no mat on the bed, it is like no skin on people’s face.” In the past, when the Spring Festival approaches, almost every household in Qingdao suburb would lay a red mat on their bed.” Fiona continues to explain to Gallous about this folk art according to the information she has acquired. “Boli Red Mat is cross-knitted with sorghum, an agricultural crop with over 20 procedures and its color is alternate with red and white. It is assumed that laying a red mat on their bed can avoid omens and evils and pray for good luck in the coming new year. Therefore on every Spring Festival, every household would lay a brand new red mat. Boli Red Mat dates back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period and enjoys a history of over 2,000 years.” Zhang Hua