Gaming company seeks to revitalize traditional umbrella-making
The traditional craft of making a tarpaulin umbrella.
A participant makes a tarpaulin umbrella.
An activity themed on tarpaulin umbrella was held recently in Putuo District to promote China's traditional intangible cultural heritage and enable young people to savor the allure of ancient craftsmanship.
The event featured an exhibition and a lecture on the culture of China's tarpaulin umbrella, and 30 young people made their own umbrellas and learnt the drawing technique for umbrella fabric.
Held at the Universal Software Park, an industrial park in Putuo, and organized by online game developer BOKE, it offered a new approach to revitalize and promote the intangible cultural heritage among young people.
A cross-over approach combining tarpaulin umbrellas and gaming.
Zheng Guomin, an inheritor of the tradition, shared stories behind the old craftsmanship.
The history of the tarpaulin umbrella dates back to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.
The technique is listed as a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage of Anhui Province.
The technique of making tarpaulin umbrellas has been passed down from generation to generation in Zheng's family for more than 100 years.
A participant makes a tarpaulin umbrella.
"It looks simple, but the technique is in fact very complicated," said Zheng. "It involves 12 major procedures which involve 88 minor steps, and it takes one week for an experienced craftsman to make one tarpaulin umbrella."
Many domestic umbrella manufacturing plants were shut down or forced to change or eliminate their production lines under the impact of overseas competition in the 1970s and 80s, said Zheng.
He said he hoped to revitalize the technique and kept innovating since then.
"Innovation is the soul of the revitalization of the traditional craftsmanship," he said.
A participant decorates an umbrella.
A participant draws flowers on an umbrella.
The umbrellas made by Zheng have diverse patterns and are kept at the Palace Museum and used as props in Chinese costume dramas at Hengdian World Studios, China's largest movie production base.
Zheng has been making tarpaulin umbrellas for 40 years.
"I want to spread the culture of tarpaulin umbrella to young people," said Zheng. "I hope to let them experience the traditional culture of China and get fascinated by the cultural gems. Intangible cultural heritage has its own life and innovates with the change of times."
Master Zheng is on the way to revitalizing the old craft.
Many participants wore traditional hanfu clothing.
The event attracted many young white-collar workers at the software park. Some wore hanfu – traditional Chinese outfits.
BOKE, which primarily focuses on developing and publishing casual games globally, has included tarpaulin umbrella elements into one of its casual game's characters in a cross-over approach combining gaming and intangible cultural heritage.
It aims to promote traditional Chinese culture among more young people, and help them appreciate the nation's cultural gems in a fun experience, BOKE said.
