Drawing on her recent research, Yin Huang reflects on the increased cultural focus on crafts in China and the opportunities it opens for foreign organisations.
Recently, traditional crafts have often been discussed under the field of “Intangible cultural heritage” in China, and the revival of traditional crafts strongly influences the development of the crafts events.
In relation to the content of the events, the value of traditional crafts has changed from their previous influence on modern crafts and modern design. The focus shifts to the traditional crafts itself, especially the positive effects of the culture and values behind it. As a result, the people who were invited to participate are no longer just artists and designers, the craftsperson has also become the subject of invited participators.
In addition, the event’s content has become diversified. Not only the unpopular traditional crafts become an independent theme of the event, but other types of activities related to “traditional crafts” are also emerging, such as “branding traditional crafts”, “recognizing traditional craftspersons”. The revival of traditional crafts also affects the transformation of the initiators of the events. Government institutions related to Intangible Cultural Heritage have begun to emerge and become the organisers of the event, and they not only cooperate with private institutions and organizations related to traditional crafts, but also with education institutions to bring academic resources and even commercial enterprises to bring financial resources to integrate all resources.
Therefore, crafts events are no longer simple activities inside the related industry, but a larger feast that the whole society can participate in. For foreign organisations related to craft, it is a great opportunity to collaborate with crafts events centred on culture and value behind traditional crafts and to establish new networks with emerging Chinese organisations related to the Intangible Cultural Heritage field.
Below is a list of the 75 national craft cities of China:
1 China Crystal Capital, Jiangsu Donghai County, Jiangsu Province
2 China Crystal Craft Gift City, Jiangsu China East Sea Crystal City
3 China Crafts Gift Capital, Zhejiang Xianju County, Zhejiang Province
4 China Crafts Gift City, Zhejiang Xianju Crafts Production and Processing Park
5 Chinese Crafts Capital, Zhejiang Huangyan District, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province
6 China Longquan Celadon Capital, Zhejiang Longquan City, Zhejiang Province
7 China Longquan Sword Township, Zhejiang Longquan City, Zhejiang Province
8 China Porcelain·Dehua, Fujian Dehua County, Fujian Province
9 Chinese Stone Carving Capital, Fujian Hui’an County, Fujian Province
10 Chinese Folk Crafts Capital, Fujian Weicheng District, Quanzhou, Fujian Province
11 China Chengmu Township, Henan Province, Xin’an County, Henan Province
12 China’s Liubian Township, Henan Gushi County
13 China’s Enamel Capital, Henan Shenzhou Town, Cangzhou City, Henan Province
14 Chinese Festival of Lights, Zhejiang Ningxi Town, Huangyan District, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province
15 China Lace Capital, Zhejiang Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
16 China Grass Art Capital, Shandong Laizhou City, Shandong Province
17 China Weaving Crafts Capital, Guangxi Bobai County, Guangxi District
18 Chinese classical craft furniture Capital, Fujian Fujian Province Xianyou County
19 Chinese Folk Arts and Crafts Capital, Zhejiang Yueqing City, Zhejiang Province
20 China Silver Capital, Chengdu Shangtang, Putian City, Fujian Province
21 China’s Lacquerware Town, Guizhou Dafang County, Guizhou Province
22 China Miao costumes Yi costume Capital, Guizhou Guizhou Guizhou Southeast Guizhou Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture
23 China Miao silver jewelry Town, Guizhou Guizhou Province, Southeast Guizhou Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture Leishan County
24 China Miao embroidery Town, Guizhou Province Guizhou Province, Southeast Guizhou Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture Taijiang County
25 China’s Liubian Township, Anhui Luannan County
26 China Woodcarving Capital, Zhejiang Dongyang City, Zhejiang Province
27 China Classical Furniture Capital, Guangdong Xinhui District, Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province
28 Chinese Willow Capital Shandong Linyi County, Shandong Province
29 Chinese Traditional Arts and Crafts Characteristic Base, Jiangsu Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province*
30 Chinese Stone Culture Capital, Zhejiang Qingtian County, Zhejiang Province*
31 Famous Chinese Town of Tao, Jianshui Yunnan Jianshui County, Yunnan Province*
32 China Arts and Crafts Capital, Chaozhou Guangdong Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province*
33 China’s Black Pottery Capital, Rizhao Donggang Shandong Donggang District, Rizhao City, Shandong Province
34 The hometown of Chinese classical mahogany furniture, Xihe Town Shandong Xihe Town, Shandong Province
35 China’s Lace Town, Guali Zhejiang Guali Town, Xiaoshan District, Zhejiang
36 China Thangka Art Town, Qinghai Qingren Province Tongren County
37 China Government Business Gifts Characteristic Industry Base, Jiangsu Donghai County, Jiangsu Province
38 China Wood Art, Heilongjiang Yichun City, Heilongjiang Province
39 China Jasper Capital, Xinjiang Xinjiang Manas County
40 China’s Roots Capital, Fujian Fujian Province Jianye City
41 China’s lacquer art capital, Fujian Fuzhou City, Fujian Province
42 China’s Shoushan Stone Culture Capital, Fujian Fuzhou City, Fujian Province
43 China Celadon Town, Zhejiang Shangyu Town, Longquan City, Zhejiang Province
44 China’s Zhaoxing Tao Capital, Guangxi Qinzhou City, Guangxi District
45 China Crafts Carving Town, Jiangsu Guangfu Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province
46 China’s Ebony Root Art Capital, Sichuan Lushan County, Ya’an City, Sichuan Province
47 China’s Agate Capital, Liaoning Fuxin City, Liaoning Province
48 South China’s Jade Capital, Guangdong Xinyi City, Guangdong Province
49 China Silver Jewelry City, Fujian Putian Xiuyu Shangtang Silver Jewelry City
50 China’s hometown of Tibetan embroidery art, Qinghai Hainan Province, Qinghai Province
51 China’s Tibetan Embroidery Production Base, Qinghai Qingnan Province, Hainan Prefecture, Guinan County
52 China’s Chiffon Porcelain Capital, Henan Xiuwu County, Henan Province
53 China Tanggu Base, Henan, Henan Province
54 China’s Weaving Art Capital, Zhejiang Wenling City, Zhejiang Province*
55 Chinese Jade Carving Town, Jiangsu Cangzhou City
56 China Jade Carving Production Characteristic Base, Jiangsu Zhangzhou Gem Jade City
57 China Environmental Art Ceramics Production Base, Henan Chenzhou, Henan
58 China’s Craft Glass Manufacturing Capital, Hebei, Hejian County
59 China Crystal Culture Creative Industry Park, Jiangsu Donghai, Jiangsu
60 China’s Woven Crafts Capital, Boxing, Shandong Boxing County, Shandong Province
61 China·Yanjing Eight Craftsmanship Art Demonstration Base, Beijing, Beijing Shengshi Boutique Square
62 China’s Stone Carving Town, Henan, Henan Province People’s Government
63 China’s Lacquer Ware Capital, Shanxi, Shanxi Pingyao
64 China’s Rattan and Iron Craft Capital, Fujian Anxi County, Fujian Province
65 China Enamel Capital, Baofeng Henan Baofeng County People’s Government of Henan Province
66 China National Porcelain Town, Jiangsu Gaochun District, Jiangsu Province
67 Chinese Ceramics Town, Fujian Jiefu Township, Yongchun County, Fujian Province
68 China Tang Yi Research and Development Base, Henan People’s Government of Chenzhou City, Henan Province
69 The Hometown of Chinese Grain Painting, Guantao Hebei Guantao County, Hebei Province
70 China’s hometown of Chaotic Embroidery, Baoying Jiangsu Baoying County People’s Government of Jiangsu Province
71 China Chaos Embroidery, Cultural Industry Park, Baoying Jiangsu People’s Government of Luyi Town, Baoying County, Jiangsu Province
72 China’s Yi People’s Wood Craft Capital, Sanjiang Jiangsu Guangxi Sanjiang Yi Autonomous County People’s Government
73 China’s Hydrangea Town, Jingxi, Jiangsu Guangxi Jingxi Municipal People’s Government
74 Chinese Stone Carving Town, Taishun, Zhejiang Taishun County People’s Government of Zhejiang Province
75 China’s Cloisonne Hometown, Dachang Hebei People’s Government of Dachang Hui Autonomous County, Langfang City, Hebei Province
