Taiyuan, 6 Feb (Xinhua) -- Yellow cloth is leather, standing with his head held high, bulging and bulging, fat mounds, and his posture is cute and majestic. This is the cloth tiger that has become a national intangible cultural heritage - Shanxi Lihou Tiger.
This is Li Houhu sewn by li xiaomei, a non-hereditary heir. Courtesy of respondents
In the Year of the Tiger, LiHouhu sold hotly. The cute buhu attracted the attention of 28-year-old Russian foreign teacher Christina Lachenko. Passionate about Chinese culture, she walked into rural China for the first time to explore the tiger culture and the sutra of wealth behind Li Houhu.
Non-hereditary heir Li Xiaomei (first from right) introduces Christina to the tiger hat. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Xuetao
A long-standing tiger culture
Christina worked as a foreign teacher in Changzhi City, Shanxi Province for 5 years. Recently, she came to the LihouHu Museum in Licheng County, Changzhi City. A photograph of a jade tiger in the museum caught her attention.
This is the jade tiger found by archaeology at the Xiguan Cemetery in Licheng. Courtesy of respondents
This jade tiger looked fierce and mighty. It was excavated from a large tomb in the Xiguan Cemetery in Licheng. In 2006, archaeologists found the tombs of Li Hou's family ministers and his wife here, and speculated that the nearby grave with a graveyard was Li Hou's tomb, which was two weeks old. This provides archaeological evidence for the legend that "during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, Licheng was the seat of the ancient State of Li".
"Licheng is the ancient Li Kingdom, basically no problem, the jade tiger is the ornament worn by the owner of the tomb." Zhang Chongning, a researcher at the Shanxi Provincial Archaeological Research Institute, said.
The local people's love of tiger culture continues to this day. Tigers in the folk have blessings, town houses, longevity, wealth and other cultural connotations, the people are regarded as a mascot to accompany the healthy growth of children. This custom is deeply rooted in the life of the people of Licheng, and they also gave the local cloth tiger a domineering name "Lihou Tiger".
Children play with Li Houhu. Courtesy of respondents
Although the cloth tiger is small, it is full of cultural connotations and wisdom. A piece of cloth is cut once to form a ripple of yin and yang, which is attached to the tiger's back, which not only distinguishes gender, but also has the meaning of endless life. The whirlwind-like pattern on the tiger's body, facing the same direction, means to be smooth.
In 2008, Licheng County's Buhu (LihouHu) became a national intangible cultural heritage.
The intangible cultural heritage force in rural revitalization
With the increase in the popularity of Li Houhu and the increase in orders, more and more people have joined the team of sewing Li Houhu. At present, there are 6 inheritors at the provincial, municipal and county levels of Lihouhu.
Non-hereditary heir Li Xiaomei (first from left) teaches Christina to make Li Houhu. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Xuetao
Li Xiaomei, 48, is li houhu's provincial non-hereditary heir. Come to her studio, cute cloth tiger, tiger head hat, tiger head shoes, tiger belly pocket, tiger pendant... Christina's childlike heart was aroused. She put on a tiger hat and a thimble on her hand, picked up the needle and thread, and tried to embroider the eyebrows of the cloth tiger, but gave up after a few attempts.
"It was definitely hard for her to sew a tiger for the first time, and it would take me a day or two to make one." Li Xiaomei introduced that sewing Li Houhu must go through 6 major steps of material selection, drawing sample, cutting, filling, making facial features and tail, and then stitching and pasting, and the process integrates paper-cutting, embroidery and other processes.
During this time, Li Xiaomei received an order of 200,000 yuan. Although the number of workers has increased from 20 to 30 to 100, the supply of products is still in short supply. She was too busy to get into the studio.
Qiao Yanbo, who is engaged in the home textile business, has also started the Li Houhu business in recent years. The company's annual sales are increasing, exceeding 2 million yuan in 2021. They have innovated and produced a back-pounding tiger, a special heart-to-heart tiger for marriage, a tiger head pillow with a high back, a tiger with a long life, etc., and also opened a private customization service.
Guo Lei, director of the Licheng County Bureau of Culture and Tourism, introduced that the local implementation of the "company + farmer" production model, through online and offline sales to all parts of the country, and even abroad. At present, Licheng County has more than 500 professional employees of Lihouhu, with an annual output of 50,000 Lihouhu, driving each household to increase its income by more than 10,000 yuan.
Li Lixia, a poverty-alleviated household, is catching up with Li Houhu. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Xuetao
Walking into Qiao Yanbo's production workshop, 52-year-old Li Lixia is busy. Her family is a poverty alleviation household, her husband is physically disabled and unable to work, and her 3 sons are in school, which is a heavy burden. Since starting Li Houhu, she has earned 1700 yuan per month. "It's very good, when the farmer is idle, he can still rely on it to earn some pocket money and supplement the family." She said.
Christina noticed that some women made Li Hou Hu accessories or assembled Li Hou Hu in their own homes, taking care of the family and increasing their income.
At the recommendation of Li Xiaomei, Christina came to North Guihua Village. Li Jingfen, a 51-year-old villager, is making 600 tiger tails. She has been making LiHouHu for 12 years, and in her free time to take care of more than 4 acres of land in her family, she has made Lihouhu, increasing her income by more than 1,000 yuan per month.
Cut the constant nostalgia and affection
Li Jingfen specially sewed a Li Houhu for his grandson, who was less than one year old, and placed it at the head of his bed. "I think Chinese see tigers as strong animals, believing that tigers can bring health, strength and good luck to children." After a day of visiting, Christina expressed her understanding.
Li Houhu pins on the love and blessing of the elders for the younger generations, connecting nostalgia and family affection.
"When I was a child, I used to play in front of my grandmother's door, she sewed a cloth tiger I held my chin, a stitch and a thread for many years of wind and rain, I grew up with the cloth tiger..." Yang Sainan, a 26-year-old licheng boy, created the song "Cloth Tiger" based on personal experience. As the lyrics say, "all kinds of floral cloths piled up on the bed and sofa" is his deepest memory of his grandmother.
Licheng County children with cloth tigers. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ma Zhiyi
Teachers in Licheng County also made up their own songs and children's songs, so that children could feel the tiger culture in their songs. Kindergarten teacher Liu Huifang said that Li Houhu is the most common children's toy in local families, and a needle and a thread are full of the efforts of elders, and this rich local culture should be passed down from generation to generation.
Five years ago, when Christina first arrived in China, she couldn't speak a word of Chinese. Now, she has a huge interest in Chinese culture, insisting on reading Chinese history and culture books every day, and her Chinese language level has improved by leaps and bounds.
"Chinese culture is amazing." Christina said. (Reporters Lv Mengqi, Wang Xuetao, Ma Zhiyi, Xie Yuan)