日批在线视频_内射毛片内射国产夫妻_亚洲三级小视频_在线观看亚洲大片短视频_女性向h片资源在线观看_亚洲最大网

Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
China
Home / China / Newsmaker

Inheritor watches over craft of making wamao

China Daily | Updated: 2025-12-22 09:14
Share
Share - WeChat
Zhang Hang examines a wamao at the Heart Chamber Wamao Museum in Kunming, Yunnan province. WANG GUANSEN/XINHUA

KUNMING — In an unassuming museum in Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province, Zhang Hang shapes a piece of clay into the figure of a cat known as wamao, or tile cat, a traditional figurine once placed on rooftops and believed to guard homes.

Zhang, 32, is an inheritor of the Kunming wamao making technique and the founder of the Heart Chamber Wamao Museum.

Wamao, originating in Yunnan, and particularly from the Bai ethnic group, combines practical design with folk beliefs. Traditionally mounted on eaves or lintels, it was believed to drive away evil spirits and bring peace to the household. In 2023, wamao was listed as one of Yunnan's provincial intangible cultural heritage items.

Zhang first encountered wamao in 2012, when he was studying folk art design at Yunnan Arts University. "I was drawn to its expressive artistic form," he said. "I wanted to integrate its unconstrained style into modern design."

Since then, searching for old wamao has become part of his daily life. He has wandered through old city markets and construction sites, from the cities of Dali and Lijiang to the outskirts of Kunming, chasing traces of the clay guardians on roof ridgelines.

"As long as there is a wamao, I would go for it," he said.

Through more than a decade of efforts, Zhang's museum houses over 700 wamao. "The process of searching enhanced my understanding of the craft," he said."Wamao is more than an ornament. It's a vessel of history, culture and people's hope for prosperity."

He said he once visited an abandoned village where there was a wamao perched above a broken doorway.

"I tried to pry it off for preservation, but it was too solidly fixed," Zhang said.

"When I returned, the house had been demolished, and the wamao was gone."

Once proud sentinels of families, wamao have watched generations pass beneath them. "Even with the house shattered, the wamao remained part of it," he said. "It comes from the earth, protects the home and eventually returns to the earth."

His experiences have made him even more respectful toward history and traditional craftsmanship." Inheriting a craft is not only about skills, but also about understanding its cultural meaning," he said.

In 2019, Zhang founded the wamao museum to promote the craft through exhibitions, hands-on classes and cultural tours. Visitors can take part in wamao-making workshops, wamao placement ceremonies, and field trips to traditional villages.

"The placement and study tour help connect the intangible cultural heritage with modern life, while the workshops encourage creativity and understanding through practice," he said.

In his studio, Zhang mixes clay, shapes the cat's head and body, and then fires it in a kiln after drying. The belly of the cat is left hollow, with its mouth and tail connected, symbolizing the idea of "swallowing evil and releasing blessings".

Skilled artisans can complete a wamao in a week, but Zhang said the true challenge lies in merging tradition with innovation. "It sometimes takes a month to create one that feels right," he said. "The goal is to help this ancient craft find new meaning in modern society."

As urbanization changes the landscape of Kunming, many old houses have disappeared. Zhang hopes his work will help preserve the memory of the wamao and its cultural spirit.

"As old houses crumble, I hope the chamber of my heart will serve as a new home for wamao," he said.

Xinhua

Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1994 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
 
主站蜘蛛池模板: 成人黄色小视频在线观看 | 欧美极品一区二区 | 高清成人在线 | 麻豆久久久久久 | 亚洲一区在线观看视频 | 亚洲成在线 | 1级黄色大片儿 | 亚洲一区在线免费 | 欧美日韩在线一区二区 | 久久久精品成人 | 免费在线观看你懂的 | 一区二区三区精品视频在线观看 | 亚洲欧美日韩第一页 | 久久久久久久久国产精品 | 91久久久久久久久久久久 | 黄色影视大全 | 国产高清av| 山岸逢花在线观看 | 亚洲国产精品成人综合久久久 | 青青国产在线视频 | 懂色av中文字幕 | 蜜臀久久99精品久久久久久 | 污视频在线观看网站 | 男女拍拍拍网站 | 日韩欧美中文字幕在线视频 | 性高潮久久久久久久 | 天天操综合网 | 国产又粗又长又黄视频 | 日韩女优一区 | 精品视频一区二区三区在线观看 | 日韩欧美一区二区三区四区 | 欧美在线一区二区 | 成人av影视 | 五月天激情国产综合婷婷婷 | 欧美小视频在线 | 小罗莉极品一线天在线 | 欧美精品v| 国产成人精品av在线观 | 国产字幕在线观看 | 日韩中文字幕在线观看 | 欧美日一区二区 |