Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage: Velvet Flowers
"Velvet flowers, velvet flowers, blooming all over the capital during festivals and holidays." This old saying reveals the special place velvet flowers hold in Chinese life. They are not just decorative artificial flowers; they carry the auspicious meaning of "glory and prosperity," embodying people’s yearning for wealth, flourishing, and a bright future.
A Long History: From Ancient Rituals to Folk Traditions
Ancient Origins: The history of velvet flowers can be traced back to the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE), when there was already a custom of making "hairpins with flowers" using materials like gold, silver, silk, and velvet.
Royal Favor: In the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE), velvet flowers were listed as tributes to the imperial family. Legend has it that Yang Guifei, a favorite consort of Emperor Xuanzong, used them to adorn her temples, making them popular in the palace.
Folk Flourishing: By the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368–1912), velvet flower craftsmanship reached its peak. The Imperial Household Department produced velvet flowers for key festivals such as the Spring Festival and Dragon Boat Festival. In Dream of the Red Chamber, the "palace flowers" given by Aunt Xue to the sisters refer to velvet flowers.
Regional Development: Historically, velvet flowers thrived in cities like Beijing, Nanjing, Yangzhou, and Tianjin. Among them, Nanjing velvet flowers, renowned for their exquisite workmanship and unique aesthetics, were included in the list of Jiangsu Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2006.
Cultural Meanings: More Than Just Beauty
Velvet flowers are beloved not only for their beauty but also for their rich cultural symbolism.
Homophonic Symbolism: The term "velvet flower" (Ronghua) is a homophone for "glory and prosperity" (Ronghua) in Chinese, symbolizing wealth, success, and thriving—making them a vital carrier of auspicious culture.
Festival Essentials: They are indispensable decorations for traditional festivals (Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival) and weddings. For example, pomegranate-shaped velvet flowers worn during the Spring Festival symbolize retaining fortune, while "double happiness" (囍) and lily motifs at weddings represent lifelong harmony.
Patterned Blessings: Their designs often draw on lucky symbols:
Three Abundances(Fu, Shou, Duo): Combines finger citron (blessing), peach (longevity), and pomegranate (many descendants) to wish for abundant blessings, long life, and numerous offspring.
Dragon and Phoenix(Longfeng Chengxiang): Common in weddings, symbolizing good luck and harmony.
Others: Bats (representing "blessing") and peaches (longevity) are also frequent motifs.
Craftsmanship: A Test of Patience and Skill
Making velvet flowers is an art that demands extreme patience and skill. Taking Nanjing velvet flowers as an example, the core process involves several intricate steps:
Silk Refining: Boil raw silk to make "matured velvet," which becomes soft yet firm. Meanwhile, anneal copper wire to soften it.
Dyeing: Dye the matured velvet into dozens of colors, then stretch and dry it on bamboo poles.
Twisting (Gou Tiao): The key step to create velvet strips. Evenly spread the dyed velvet, clamp it with copper wire, cut it, twist both hands in opposite directions, and roll it on a board to form uniform, round velvet strips—the basic unit of a velvet flower.
Ironing: Use a soldering iron or iron to flatten the round velvet strips, which are used for leaves, wings, and other flat parts.
Trimming (Da Jian): Precisely cut the velvet strips with scissors to shape them into obtuse angles, acute angles, spheres, and more.
Assembling (Chuan Hua): Use tweezers to combine the processed velvet strips into shapes like flowers, birds, or animals.
Gluing (Zhan Hua): Bond the separate parts with glue, adding accessories like beads or seeds to complete the final piece.
Craftsmanship in Action: Every velvet flower embodies the artisan’s time and dedication. Even the simplest one takes at least two days to finish.
Modern Revival: New Life in Contemporary Culture
Today, velvet flowers are integrating into modern life in fresh ways:
Film and TV Boost: In hit dramas like Story of Yanxi Palace, elaborate velvet hair ornaments have brought this ancient craft back into the public eye, sparking interest among young people.
Fashion Crossovers: Velvet flower elements have graced international runways (e.g., Dior) and collaborated with popular IPs like Honor of Kings, resulting in innovative products such as earrings, brooches, and even velvet flower lamps.
Campus Inheritance: Cities like Nanjing have introduced velvet flower courses in primary, secondary schools, and vocational colleges, allowing younger generations to experience the craft firsthand and sowing seeds for cultural transmission.
Challenges Ahead
Despite new opportunities, the path of inheritance remains challenging:
Skill Shortage: Few masters still master the full set of core techniques, and training young inheritors takes time.
Low Awareness: Many people remain unfamiliar with velvet flowers, and their application scenarios and market promotion need expansion.
Piracy Issues: Cheap counterfeit products not only harm the interests of original artisans but also damage the brand image of intangible cultural heritage.
A velvet flower, having journeyed from the depths of the Tang Dynasty palace through millennia of change, now blooms anew in the hands of contemporary artisans. It is not only a symbol of "glory and prosperity" but also a testament to the enduring vitality of China’s excellent traditional culture.
The next time you see a velvet flower, perhaps you will feel the craftsmanship and blessings that transcend time.
