The Haunting Memory of Riverside Town

In the misty and drizzly southern China， umbrella plays a key role in the daily life of local people. The unique culture， as well as the aesthetics and poetic imagery of umbrella together express a comprehensive folk culture of China. Crowned as the“Flower of the West Lake”for its attractive appearance， oiled paper umbrella is a unique product of Hangzhou. In 1972 when then US President Richard Nixon visited Hangzhou on his historic trip to China， the oiled paper umbrella was given to him as an emblematic gift of China.

Stories and technique of oiled paper umbrella

There are many stories about the origin of umbrella in China. One of them is originated from the lotus leaves. Approximately 4，000 years ago， a child played beside a pond and encountered the rainfall. He quickly took a large lotus leaf and held over the head to shelter himself from the rain， and then the umbrella was invented.

Another story was related to Lu Ban， the master of inventions and the forefather of carpenters in China living in the Period of Spring and Autumn （722-481 BC）. Lu Ban worked in the countryside， and his wife sent him food everyday. She always suffered from the rainy days， so Lu Ban built some booths along the route to protect her from rain. However， the weather easily changed in summer， and the booths could not solve the problem. One day， his wife said that if the booth can be movable， it would be better. Hearing this， Lu Ban was inspired a lot， and invented the umbrella.

Oiled paper umbrellas are made of bamboo and oiled paper， looking very elegant and unsophisticated. They are light， attractive， useful and easy to carry. After its invention， it soon became very popular and the symbol of ladies in southern China.

The making of oiled paper umbrella is very complicated. It takes 18 steps including selecting bamboo， splitting the bamboo， making the frame， painting， etc. Henon bamboo is native to Zhejiang Province and is the perfect material for the bamboo is added to complete the framework. When an oiled paper umbrella is closed， it looks elegant and charming. It is moderately thick with a bright luster， and its stem is strong enough to withstand even the hottest weather. One branch from this bamboo can be split into 32 or 36 strips， with a functional handle neatly folded inside.

Stretched tightly on the bamboo frame， the oiled paper umbrellas are able to keep the hot sun out but let the cooling breeze in. As beautiful and pragmatic sun-shades， oiled paper umbrellas look very attractive when they are open. They are brightly-colored and the decorative artworks on them are either printed， embroidered or painted. The artworks are largely about birds， flowers as well as scenic sights of beautiful Hangzhou， such as Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake and Three Pools Mirroring the Moon.

Renaissance and inheritance of ancient craft

Over time， as broad-brimmed hats and synthetic， waterproof and collapsible umbrellas became popular， oiled paper umbrellas became vintage accessories and fashion relics due to their comparatively complicated workmanship and high price. The original oiled paper umbrellas were only for shade and decoration and they were not water-proof while modern umbrellas are both fashionable and compact. In addition， pure hand-made oiled paper umbrellas， which are very labor-intensive， usually cost from 400 yuan to 1，000 yuan for one. So， oiled paper umbrellas began to lose popularity in the market.

Nowadays， Hangzhou is resurrecting this classic craft. “The craft of making oiled paper umbrella will be lost if it is not taught and passed down to the next generation，” says Zhang Jinhua， a 56-year-old expert who makes traditional oiled paper umbrellas and teaches others in the Hangzhou Crafts Living Culture Exhibition Hall.

Zhang started to learn the craft from her master when Zhang was 23 years old. To preserve parasol-making， the municipal government offered a studio to Zhang and her apprentices. They work six days a week to make old-style parasols， some with modern designs and some water-proof. In master Zhang’s studio， work is well divided. Some paint patterns on the paper； some stitch the paper rim； some polish the bamboo ribs； some glue the ribs to the paper， and so on. Usually， it takes four or five craftsmen two days to make one oiled paper umbrella in Zhang’s studio. And the most expensive oiled paper umbrella made by Zhang was estimated to be worth around 7，000 yuan.

Zhang is now the core of the efforts to make old-style umbrella and revive their popularity. Today， the Hangzhou Paradise Umbrella Group， one of China’s biggest umbrella companies， sends workers to learn the craft from Zhang.

Another significant event marking the renaissance of the oiled paper umbrella is the opening of China’s first umbrella museum in 2009. Situated on the west of the Grand Canal in the West Gongchen Bridge History Culture Block， the China Umbrella Museum inclusively shows the culture， history， legends， art and craftsmanship of umbrella in China with a permanent exhibition area of 2，411 square meters.

The museum serves as the home of oiled paper umbrellas. Visitors can take shelter under China Umbrella Museum and marvel at numerous umbrellas that decorate the ceilings， walls and displays. In the museum， there is also a special zone for interaction where visitors can try assembling， painting and repairing the umbrella， and witness the reviving of this special craft.