Folk craftsmen in east China's Jiangxi Province have preserved the art of making traditional Jialu oil-paper umbrellas, contributing to the preservation of the intangible cultural heritages.
Jialu umbrellas, which originated in Jialu Village of Jiangxi's Wuyuan County, have a history of over 800 years. In 2021, the craft of making these parasols was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list.
With a bamboo frame and paper covering, the crafting process for this delicate handicraft requires over 70 steps.
Though the practice of using an umbrella to block sunlight has survived in China, most people now use modern products while oil-paper parasols have gone into decline.
But in 1990, Dai Gensheng, a native of Jialu Village, founded the Jialu oil-paper umbrella factory, aiming to protect and pass on the traditional craftwork.
"When selecting bamboo, we usually require workers to mark stalks that have grown this year, as bamboo typically needs to reach three to five years of age before it can be used for making Jialu oil-paper umbrella. Currently, the paper we now use is made cotton paper reinforced with gauze, replacing the single-layer paper we used in the past so the umbrellas can be stronger and more durable," he said.
Dai explained that making Jialu umbrellas requires chopping bamboo, carefully constructing the skeleton and artfully painting the umbrella cover.
It is a handmade craft that machines cannot emulate, he said.
"In the past, Jialu oil-paper umbrellas were single-colored, either in bright red, black or yellow. Now, we use traditional Chinese painting pigments instead to make the paintings more vibrant and captivating," said the craftsman.
Wuyuan County has attached importance to the protection of its cultural heritage in recent years, facilitated the development of local intangible cultural heritage projects, and held training sessions for the inheritors.
The oil-paper umbrellas made in Jialu have been exported to over 20 countries and regions.
The making of Jialu oil-paper umbrellas has provided employment opportunities for local villagers and boosted the development of local bamboo sales and accessory processing in nearby villages.
Folk craftsmen handmake traditional oil-paper umbrellas, preserve cultural heritage
