Zhengcheng Town, Pingyi County, Shandong Province, is a famous hometown of honeysuckle in China. It not only has beautiful historical legends but also preserves many traditional crafts. The handmade crafts, such as Tiger Head Hats, Tiger Head Shoes, and purses, are representative examples of these traditional crafts.
The Tiger Head Hat, featuring the image of a tiger, is a typical style of children’s hat in Chinese folk clothing. It, along with Tiger Head Shoes, Tiger Mouth Collars, and Tiger Face Belly Covers, forms an important part of children’s clothing. These children’s clothing items with a tiger image are deeply influenced by traditional Chinese tiger culture, characterized by distinct features and profound symbolism.
In the Yimeng Mountain region, it is a traditional practice for adults to sew Tiger Head Shoes and Tiger Head Hats for children before the Spring Festival and Dragon Boat Festival. As inheritors of the Yimeng traditional handicraft, Shao Zeying and Li Jingfeng from Fumin New Village, and Han Jinxiang from Wucheng Village, have taken on the responsibility of intangible cultural heritage passed down from the older generation.
“The tiger is a symbol of health. In Pingyi, when we describe a child as healthy and lovely, we use phrases like ‘tiger-headed and tiger-brained’ or ‘full of vitality like a dragon and a tiger.’ This also contains the blessings of parents and elders for children, hoping that they will grow up strong and healthy like a tiger on the path of growth,” said Li Jingfeng as she carefully sewed a pair of Tiger Head Shoes with a basket of needles and threads in front of her. Piece by piece of fabric, stitch by stitch, in the hands of Li Jingfeng, they gradually transformed into Tiger Head Shoes with different shapes, colors, and styles. Li Jingfeng is the daughter-in-law of Shao Zeying, and she has taken over the responsibility of inheriting the intangible cultural heritage from her mother-in-law. Li Jingfeng said that she has been engaged in this handicraft for more than 40 years. She learned this skill from her mother-in-law, Shao Zeying, after getting married. Over time, it has also become her hobby. Li Jingfeng feels excited that the old craftsmanship can once again receive attention and protection, as she herself is an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage.
“In the past, women used to do needlework at home, making quilts, mattresses, and clothes themselves. Who would go out and buy them? These handmade ornaments are meant for girls to practice,” Shao Zeying explained while demonstrating it herself. As the eldest inheritor, she has a deep emotional connection to this craft.
Han Jinxiang is a famous skilled woman in Wucheng Village. She is also adept at sewing the intricately crafted Tiger Head Shoes and Tiger Head Hats. These local folk crafts, symbolizing warding off evil, disaster avoidance, and peace and auspiciousness, have always been loved by the local villagers. Before the Spring Festival and other festivals, Han Jinxiang’s house is filled with fellow villagers who come to order Tiger Head Shoes and Tiger Head Hats.
Han Jinxiang said that the designs of these fabric tigers, Tiger Head Shoes, and Tiger Head Hats have been passed down from generation to generation by the older generation. Today, this intangible cultural heritage, which was once neglected, is thriving between urban and rural areas. It is not just a craft; it carries the nostalgic memories that people nowadays cannot sever.
