Sugar blower Zhang Yiliang, or Sugar Figure Zhang blows into the air pocket of a sugar ball with a blow pipe and shapes the surface into a sugar mouse on ancient Jinli Street in Chengdu, southwestern China's Sichuan Province.

When you step onto the ancient street of Jinli you will notice a rich display of intangible cultural heritage including flour figures, sugar blowing, sugar painting and shadow plays. These traditional parts of the Chinese culture still enjoy a strong vitality, good economic returns and social influence in Jinli.

Sugar blowing expert Zhang Yiliang, who is known in Jinli as Tangren Zhang, or Sugar Figure Zhang, sets up his stand on the scenic street. He says that it is difficult to find somebody else in Chengdu who has mastered this time-honored handcraftsmanship. The sugar blower has made the variety of sugar figures that he displays on his stand. He first prepares his basic recipe of hard candy by heating it until it becomes soft. He then picks up a lump of the soft sugar and makes a small hollow to attach his blow pipe. Zhang then slowly blows through the pipe and enlarges the air pocket inside the sugar ball and shapes the outside with skillful fingers. Zhang says, the secret to making the different shapes lies in how fast and how accurately you can move your fingers.

Zhu Zhengguo is more than 70 years old and is a member of the folk culture association in Chengdu. He is famous for making "Shuahuo"-traditional toys made out of lumps of plastic. "Shuahuo Zhu" used to make nine-interlinking-hoops out of copper, a type of toy that is good for developing a child's intellect. He also made figures out of flour. Through experience, skill and aspiration he has now created a series of vivid plastic figures. He also makes some typical and popular products for visitors including a "panda playing a drum" and "a monkey swinging over a horizontal bar."

According to Mr Zhu, one small toy will sell for from 10 to 20 yuan. However, some visitors still feel that the price is too expensive. Zhu says, that the toys are completely made by hand and this takes time. At a lower price they would not be able to make any profit and the special handicraft would surely disappear. To solve this problem, he has prepared some unfinished products at a lower price for customers to take home and try to complete on their own.

When asked how well the traditional toys compete with modern toys, Zhu has a lot of confidence. These toys are actually art forms and not only for entertainment. They also carry an element of nostalgia as many people remember their childhood and the good times of the past through these toys. Still, Zhu adds nowadays kids have electronic toys and the cartoon figure Oatman but as time goes by the popularity of traditional products will grow. Only at that time these products will not only be for the nation but also for the world.

"Shuahuo Zhu" has worked in this field for more than twenty years. He says that now only he and his wife are doing this type of work. Being short handed, they have to work day and night if a customer places a big order. He would like to take on several apprentices to hand down the handcraftsmanship of making this Shuahuo priceless cultural asset.

In Jinli, you can also watch a Pi Ying Xi performance or Chinese shadow play. The plays are an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment that use opaque figures cut from leather and placed in front of an illuminated backdrop to create the illusion of moving images.

Other local handicraft includes Shu (Shu is the shortened form of Sichuan Province) brocade, Shu embroidery, and Chuan embroidery. Shu painted handicrafts are also available.

Dating back to the Qin dynasty, Jinli was once one of the busiest commercial streets of the Shu Kingdom, during the Three Kingdoms Period. After its renovation in 2004, it has served as a showcase for living traditional art and handicraft. Some of these craft forms are on the verge of extinction. If this is allowed to happen the people from China and the whole World will lose a valuable and irreplaceable part of history. 

Zhu Zhengguo, or "Shuahuo Zhu", in a long blue dress, carries his goods stand and sells "Shuahuo"- a traditional toy made out of plastic along ancient Jinli Street in Chengdu, southwestern China's Sichuan Province.

A middle aged puppeteer performs shadow puppetry on a translucent sheet of cloth. The shadows are seen by the audience in profile on the cloth on ancient Jinli Street in Chengdu, southwestern China's Sichuan Province.

A middle aged puppeteer performs shadow puppetry on a translucent sheet of cloth. The shadows are seen by the audience in profile on the cloth on ancient Jinli Street in Chengdu, southwestern China's Sichuan Province.

(CRI January 14, 2008)