Hangzhou, an area with a long history, is rich in intangible cultural heritage. They are like shining pearls scattered all over Hangzhou, cherishing the precious cultural memory of the city. Among the many shining intangible cultural heritage projects, the most shining is the “intangible cultural heritage of humanity” project. At present, Hangzhou has four items (five sub-projects) selected on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: Art of Chinese Seal Engraving (Xiling Engravers’ Society Seal Engraving), Chinese Sericulture Silk Weaving Techniques (Yuhang Qingshui Silk Floss Making Techniques, Hangzhou Luo Silk Making Techniques), the Art of Guqin (Zhejiang School of Guqin Art) and the Twenty-Four Solar Terms (“Beginning of Summer” Customs of Banshan). They have entered the vision of the inheritance, protection and development of human civilization as a global cultural form. They are not only from Hangzhou, but also from the world!

Art of Chinese Seal Engraving (Xiling Seal-Engravers’ Society Seal Engraving)

The art of seal engraving is a cornerstone of Chinese fine arts. The seal was originally used as a signature or sign of authority, but it came to be used by all social classes and in much of Asia. The Seal Engravers’ Society of Xiling in Zhejiang Province, central China, which was founded a century ago, preserves the art of seal engraving along with approximately a hundred other specialized institutions. The design is first sketched on paper, and then engraved on stone, in reverse, with a knife. In addition to mastery of traditional calligraphy, the art of engraving requires a high degree of virtuosity, since the artist works on a tiny surface area where every curve, every thickness of line counts. The very diverse motifs are the fruit of the artist’s imagination and culture. As an instrument of calligraphy and painting, the seal is a work of art in itself. It expresses an entire culture’s ideas about humankind and nature. Today, seals continue to be used in official documents and private correspondence. Even though those understanding the complex characters are ever fewer, the art of seal engraving is still practiced by both professionals and amateurs.

It was inscribed in 2009 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Sericulture and Silk Craftsmanship of China (Yuhang Qingshui Silk Floss Production Techniques)

Sericulture and silk craftsmanship of China, based in Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces near Shanghai and Chengdu in Sichuan Province, has an ancient history. Traditionally an important role for women in the economy of rural regions, silk-making encompasses planting mulberry, raising silkworms, unreeling silk, making thread, and designing and weaving fabric. It has been handed down within families and through apprenticeship, with techniques often spreading within local groups. The life cycle of the silkworm was seen as representing the life, death and rebirth of human beings. In the ponds that dot the villages, silkworm waste is fed to fishes, while mud from the pons fertilizes the mulberry trees, and the leaves in turn feed the silkworms. Near the beginning of the lunar year, silkworm farmers invite artisans into their homes to perform the story of the Goddess of the Silkworm, to ward off evil and ensure a bountiful harvest. Every April, female silkworm farmers adorn themselves with colorful flowers made of silk or paper and make harvest offerings as part of the Silkworm Flower festival. Silk touches the lives of rural Chinese in more material ways, too, in the form of the silk clothes, quilts, umbrellas, fans and flowers that punctuate everyday life.

Silk floss is a natural warmth product made from silkworm cocoons. Yuhang Qingshui (Clear Water) Silk Floss is named after the fact that the water is still clear after the silk floss is being rinsed. It is white as snow and soft as clouds, and can last for a long time without yellowing. It had been used as a tribute given to emperors and is an extremely valuable historical heritage.

Yuhang Qingshui Silk Floss has a long history, which can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty. When Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty made Lin’an (Hangzhou) the capital, he specially ordered Yuhang Silk Floss as a tribute. The Yuan and Ming dynasties did the same thing. In the Qing Dynasty, Yuhang Silk Floss was exported to Japan.

In 2009, Yuhang Qingshui Silk Floss, as an important sub-project of Sericulture and Silk Craftsmanship of China was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Sericulture and Silk Craftsmanship of China (Hangzhou Luo Silk Weaving Skills)

Luo (罗) is one of the important silk varieties. Hangzhou Luo is a famous local product of Luo Silk, named after its origin in Hangzhou.

Hangzhou has a long history of producing Luo. During the Ming Dynasty, Hangzhou had become one of the five major silk towns and a must-visit place for wealthy merchants to buy Luo. In the Qing Dynasty, Hangzhou Luo became a well-known brand.

Hangzhou Luo's making process is complicated, and it has to go through more than ten processes. Although it has undergone several changes, it still maintains a large number of manual skills in the production process, which are exquisite and meticulous, and extremely demanding.

Nowadays, Hangzhou Fuxing Silk Co., Ltd. (杭州福兴丝绸有限公司) still uses its inherited water weaving secret-recipe technology to produce Hangzhou Luo, which is mainly reflected in the water soaking treatment during the reeling and the water-containing weaving on the machine. The techniques are distinctive.

In 2009, “Hangzhou Luo Making Techniques”, as an important sub-project of Sericulture and Silk Craftsmanship of China was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The Art of Guqin (the Zhejiang School of Guqin Art)

The Chinese zither, called Guqin, has existed for over 3,000 years and represents China’s foremost solo musical instrument tradition. Described in early literary sources and corroborated by archaeological finds, this ancient instrument is inseparable from Chinese intellectual history. Guqin playing developed as an elite art form, practiced by noblemen and scholars in intimate settings, and was therefore never intended for public performance. Furthermore, the Guqin was one of the four arts – along with calligraphy, painting and an ancient form of chess – that Chinese scholars were expected to master. According to tradition, twenty years of training were required to attain proficiency.

The ancient Zhejiang School of Guqin Art began in the Southern Song Dynasty. Guo Chuwang (郭楚望) is considered to be the founder of the Zhejiang School of Guqin Art. He formed the most important school of guqin art at that time, the Zhejiang School of Guqin. With the rise of the modern Zhejiang School of Guqin, the famous musician Xu Yuanbai (徐元白) was the most famous. Nowadays, Hangzhou “West Lake Guqin Club (西湖琴社)” and “Xiaying Guqin Gallery (霞影琴馆)” are the main platforms for modern Zhejiang School of Guqin activities.

In 2003, the Art of Guqin was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and in 2010, the “Zhejiang School of Guqin Art” was added to the list as a sub-project.

Twenty-Four Solar Terms (“Beginning of Summer” Customs of Banshan)

The ancient Chinese divided the sun’s annual circular motion into 24 segments. Each segment was called a specific ‘Solar Term’. The element of Twenty-Four Solar Terms originated in the Yellow River reaches of China. The criteria for its formulation were developed through the observation of changes of seasons, astronomy and other natural phenomena in this region and have been progressively applied nationwide. It starts from the Beginning of Spring and ends with the Greater Cold, moving in cycles. The element has been transmitted from generation to generation and used traditionally as a timeframe to direct production and daily routines. It remains of particular importance to farmers for guiding their practices. Having been integrated into the Gregorian calendar, it is used widely by communities and shared by many ethnic groups in China. Some rituals and festivities in China are closely associated with the Solar Terms, for example, the First Frost Festival of the Zhuang People and the Ritual for the Beginning of Spring in Jiuhua. The terms may also be referenced in nursery rhymes, ballads and proverbs. These various functions of the element have enhanced its viability as a form of intangible cultural heritage and sustain its contribution to the community’s cultural identity. Knowledge of the element is transmitted through formal and informal means of education.

The Beginning of Summer (also known as the “Lixia Festival”), one of the twenty-four solar terms, is the day that marks the beginning of summer. The traditional customs of the Lixia Festival have been passed down from generation to generation in the Banshan (半山) area of Hangzhou.

On the day of Lixia, the masses spontaneously gather near the Banshan Niangniang Temple and hold activities according to local customs such as “Farewell to Spring and Hello to Summer”, eat “Black Rice”, cook “Wild Rice”, “weighing people”, and organize “Temple Fair” to pray for good health, safe summer, and a bumper harvest. Now at the annual Lixia Festival, a series of activities such as the traditional Lixia Folk Experience of Banshan and running in mountains to welcome the summer are held, which are deeply loved by Hangzhou citizens.

In 2016, “Beginning of Summer” Customs of Banshan”, as an important sub-project of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.