[ POSTCARDS FROM CHINA ] Canal Town Illustrations

 

 

In aid of China's current 11 gold lead at the London Olympics (still rooting for you Team GB!!), I thought we'd give them a bit of a shout out with these intricately illustrated postcards I picked up whilst visiting the tiny, highly picturesque village of Xidi (西递), Anhui province, last October. Long time in posting, I'm well aware, but scanning gets a little difficult during a life on the road... I don't possess the ability to read Mandarin so I can't be certain which towns the artworks represent but they certainly bring to mind the charming canal town of Tongli (同里) which lies in Wujiang county, just outside the more well known city of Suzhou (苏州). Which postcard is your favourite? 

Want to see my own photographs from the Huizhou Villages of Xidi and Hongcun (宏村)? Go visit the Huizhou set on my Flickr page. You can also see more images from my wanderings around China on Flickr by clicking here, or more posts on Wandering Threads about China by clicking here. 

[ YANGGE PARTY PRINTS ] Píngyáo International Photography Festival

More raving about that little (in Chinese terms) town west of Beijing? Yes, more raving. Sorry but it really was quite the town. Last post, I promise. This time I want to share with you some of my favorite ethnic inspired shots from the 2011 Píngyáo international Photography Festival, which just happened to be taking place during my visit.  

Held at various locations around the town with prints strung up everywhere from disused factories to 300 year old temple walls and parking lot gates, this festival definitely took the town by storm, swamping the streets with super keen amateur photographers brandishing an unwarranted amount of camera equipment. Let's just say unofficial sponsors Canon and Nikon certainly peaked in inadvertent exposure ratings.

Photographs by Kang Fuqi

Naturally on the look out for traditional culture inspired shots, I came across two photographers who had both captured traditional villages in full swing Yangge mode. Taking place annually in lunar January each year around northern China's Shaanxi province, Yangge Party celebrates the joy of life and happiness stemming from the past years good harvest with drum and gong bearing dancers, often on stilts, paying visits to all dwellings in the area. So whilst we're welcoming in the new year with a hangover, these guys are prancing around on stilts in the most amazing, intricately embroidered costumes, faces plastered with traditional make up and crowned with fabulously decorative headpieces. I think I might try China next New Year. 

Photographs by Kang Fuqi

Traditional culture aside, the PIP festival has a plethora of awesome work from every level of photographer, mostly Chinese (naturally) with a few foreigners slotted in here and there. A great atmosphere and an even better location, its definitely worth a visit if you just happen to be hanging around Shaanxi province but if you're a westerner watch out for those telephoto lenses! True to form, being one of the only non-Asians around, I was unrelentingly swarmed by super lenses and tiny children wielding note books and pleading for autographs. I think my 'type' may be somewhat of a rarity in small town China... 

The Píngyáo international Photography Festival 2012: my no.1 recommendation for any non-Asian that wants to feel like a famous person for the day. 

To read more about the UNESCO heritage town of Píngyáo check out my earlier post here and and another on paper cutting in Píngyáo here

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[ POSTCARDS FROM PINGYAO ] Shaanxi, China

Ahh, Píngyáo, that time-honored town in the heart of China's Shaanxi province, one of the few remaining, truly authentic locations you'll find left in modern day China. Píngyáo's grey-brick streets give way to meticulously carved wooden doors, behind which lay a hide a network of symmetrical dwellings, centered around impeccably landscaped courtyards, each bathed in light and exuding a sense of Taoist harmony. Film set worthy streets, once the tourist hoards have left, of course. In the five days I spent wandering its alleyways I began to develop somewhat of a love affair with this town so, naturally, I think it only right that I should share some of my snaps of this majestic place with you too. 

If you too find yourself falling in love with this wonderful town, take a look at my previous post on Píngyáo's paper cutting crafts and later post on the Pingyao International Photography Festival 2011

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[ ORIENTAL EYES ] Lashes by PaperSelf

If you are yet to discover these amazing false eyelashes by Paperself you need to get right on over to their website and have a damn good look. Shame on you! Belonging to two London based friends of mine, Yiki Chen and Chunwei Liao, Paperself has gained enormous following throughout the fashion world since its humble beginnings back in 2009. 

Inspired by the Chinese tradition of paper cutting, these beautifully intricate lashes have revolutionised the market for falsies around the world. Stocked everywhere from the UK to Europe, the USA, Asia and Australia and featured globally in pretty much every major magazine, there's no stopping them! Luckily I snapped myself up a few freebies after helping Yiki and Chunwei shoot some of their look book images (like the one above) and writing their promotional material back in 2010. Since then they've been busy designing new styles, all inspired by traditional Chinese symbolism, so get on over to their website and have a look!

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[ RUNNING WITH SCISSORS ] Chinese Paper Cutting, Píngyáo

Check out this amazing paper craft discovered during my first foray out of the city and into China's traditional towns back in October last year. Píngyáo 平遥, just over 400 miles west of Beijing is one of the last remaining, working, walled heritage cities. Once a thriving merchant town during the Ming Dynasty, later progressing to a centre for banking during the Qing dynasty, Píngyáo is now a Mecca for unrelenting hoards of Chinese tourists (complete with speakerphone wielding guide). However, make the tactical decision to stay the night and post 4pm, voilà! no crowds to be seen. 

Now, enough of the travel tips and back to the art. As you've probably discerned by now, Chinese heritage town + prosperous, culture hungry Chinese tourists = perfect money making opportunity. But a glance down one of Píngyáo's cobbled streets and you'll be taken aback by the never-ending stretch of grey-brick walls embellished with line upon line revolutionary red hued, intricately scored, traditional Chinese paper cuttings.  

Depicting archetypal scenes, zodiac signs and characters, the paper cuttings are hugely symbolic in Chinese culture and are largely seen during festivals, ceremonies and family events, often given as gifts by well wishers. My personal appreciation for the craft was propelled a few years back whilst researching feature ideas for my ethnic inspired degree project, TRIBE magazine. A Taiwanese friend, Yiki, introduced me to her own brand of Chinese paper cut inspired false eyelashes (more on that later...), a novel idea right? Just another awesome example of how traditional culture continues to inspire contemporary design. What's been inspiring you lately?

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[ AN ORIENTAL RETREAT ] Summer Palace, Beijing

Cast your minds back to China again for installment no.2 from Beijing. This time, a little dose of traditional Qing dynasty Chinese architecture (who said style was just about fashion anyway?) in the shape of another of the capital's famous landmarks, The Summer Palace.

Commissioned in 1750 by Emperor Qianlong as a birthday gift for his mother, the Summer Palace is apparently the largest Imperial garden in the world, and it really is a beautiful place to while away a summers day. I was lucky enough to visit in the month of September, the period of tiāngāo qìshuǎng which literally translates as when 'the sky is high and the air is fresh'. In the images above you can see the main complex of the Palace of the Parting Clouds (Pai Yun Dian) and the faux marble Qing Yan Fǎng or Boat of Purity and Ease. You've probably noticed by now that the Chinese will never 'call a spade a spade', as my mother would say. Buildings and structures all follow the philosophies of Taoism which promotes the concepts of symmetry and harmony. Each structure is built and named with symbolic accordance, meaning you get a lot of, well, identical buildings. Not so much fun after your fifteenth temple complex...

These Chinese characters look like paint, right? Wrong. Walking around the outskirts of Kunming Lake, I stumbled upon a man writing these rows of characters simultaneously, giant calligraphy brushes on long sticks, one in each hand. Now that's talent.

One of my favorite spots within the complex, the Garden of Harmonious Interests (Xie Qu Yuan, above) is evidently a place of peace and tranquility (go Taoism! It appears to be working). Thanks to the amazing climate and clear blue skies this time of year, China is a photographers dream. Look at how perfectly the pavilions are reflected in the clear, untouched lotus pond. Below you can see some of the intricate detailing painted across the ceilings and arches of the Xing Qiao Bridge , as well as some of the small boats ferrying visitors across Kunming lake, bathed in late afternoon sunlight. 

 

The Tower of Buddhist Incense, the tallest building atop of Longevity Hill (below) is probably one of the best viewpoint's i found in Beijing. From it you can see the entire landscape of the Summer Palace and the contrasting tower blocks and skyscrapers of modern Beijing beyond. Perfect!

 

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[ FORBIDDEN INTERIORS ] Beijing

Though I am currently in Vietnam, as promised, here's a little token of my very first day in China. Starting, naturally, with the capital city of Beijing, I thought it only right to make my first visit a trip to Beijing's legendary  Forbidden City, home to 24 emperers during the Ming and Qing dynasties . I could show you the exteriors of the somewhat repetitively symmetrical Taoist buildings within the 74 hectare complex, but you've probably seen images of them a thousand and one times (if you haven't you should watch Yimou Zhang's epic Curse of the Golden Flower). So here are some of examples of the opulent intricacies and  grandeur interiors of Beijing's Imperial Palace.

 

Notice the recurrence of the two principal colours: yellow and red. Each carries symbolic significance: yellow, an auspicious colour associated with the earth was used extensively and exclusively by the Ming and Qing emperors who were regarded as the Sons of Heaven and supreme rulers of humanity. Red, on the other hand was symbolic of solemnity, happiness, wealth and honour, another auspicious colour that is to this day traditionally associated with China. 

 
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[ THREAD LUST ] Mary Katrantzou AW 2011

{Thread Lustings} Mary Katrantzou AW 2011 by wandering-threads

Mary Katrantzou silk evening dress, $675, Mary Katrantzou print dress, £795, Mary Katrantzou printed silk shirt, £674, Mary Katrantzou floral jacket, $1,305,
Mary Katrantzou | Jewel Tree appliquéd velvet dress | NET-A-PORTER.COM, £6,917, Mary katrantzou, $1,485

This is one designer I can honestly say I fell in love at first sight with. Back in 2008, during a stint interning for London fashion PR RelativeMO, I was lucky enough to witness the birth of this designer's career at her Central Saint Martins MA Graduate Show. Three years on and she's still going strong. Ladies and gentlemen: Mary Katrantzou.

Having just spent almost two months bombarded by traditional, oriental Chinese printed silks, my desire for some kind of modern, fashionable alternative was making itself quite apparent. Luckily Mary came to the rescue, with images of her AW 2011 collection being plastered around the web. As you can probably imagine, by the nature and content of this blog, I would give my right arm to get hold of one of these supremely ornate, digitally printed beauties. Anyone want to lend me 1.5 grand?

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[ BACK TO DECEMBER ] WT Changes

In case some of you may have noticed, I have indeed been absent from Wandering Threads for October and November whilst roaming around China (and a quick stint in LAOS). I would just like to say a massive SORRY to everyone who started along the journey with me back in India in May and have been following me ever since. Unfortunately me, my mac and I were caught up in the Great Chinese Firewall and thus had no access to, well, anything. Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, Google...you name it, they blocked it. Thanks China!

So, now I'm back with a vengeance and with so much content to add that, well, quite frankly I'm going to have to change my methods. So from now on Wandering Threads will continue to bring you wondrous finds from around the globe but with a somewhat more eclectic and culturally sporadic feel (i.e I won't be blogging a whole country as I go, I'll be weaving in content from my various travels along with current content). For all you stalkers out there, have no fear, you can still find out my whereabouts and keep up to speed on my daily antics on the WT twitter and facebook pages. Remember you can also see more images from adventures around Asia on my flickr page, as well as a wider source of image inspirations from Wandering Threads and around the net on the tumblr mini site. Oh, and don't forget to sign up for all the new updates by following WT on bloglovin!

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[ GOODBYE NEPAL ] Swayambhunath

So the time has finally come to leave Nepal. Tomorrow I will be flying off to China! For the next two months I shall be making my way down and across the country starting, naturally, with the big red capital of Beijing. I will, obviously, be blogging my ethnically and culturally charged discoveries once again so make sure you stay tuned for the latest! For now, as a final goodbye from Nepal, I'd like to leave you with some of my finds from today's visit to Swayambhunath, a Buddhist temple complex that towers over the city of Kathmandu. See you on the other side! 

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[ PAPERMADE ] Pokhara, Nepal

When I entered this lovely country, which appears to consist almost solely of mountains (que long, arduous bus journeys, my window opening out on to sheer drops), I had absolutely no prior knowledge of the nationwide Nepalese fad for handmade paper. So when I came across this particular shop whilst strolling down Pokhara's Lakeside area this afternoon, I was, being a bit of a graphic designer-meets-ethnic-craft-obsessive myself, a little overly excited.

From postcards and paper lanterns to decorative scrolls, colourful wall calenders and greetings cards, ever item at Western Women Paper Craft is hand-painted by local craftsmen an women around the Pokhara Valley. According to the very informative lady in the shop, the popularity of this handmade paper, both within nepal itself and with foriegn exporters is largely due to its production being both environmentally and economically sustainable. 

The paper itself is made from the inner bark of a wild shrub locally known as 'Lokta' (found only at altutudes of 7000 to 9000 feet). Luckily the harvesting of Lokta leaves at least 8 inches of stalk above ground which enables it to grow again quickly from its embedded roots. This accelerated root growth in turn helps to hold the soil in place for other crops during Nepals two monsoon seasons, thus enabling farmers to sustain their livelihoods year-round (export crops are often the only source of income in rural areas). Great news for the Nepalese and great news for us!  

 

Besides serving as a durable writing material for ages past (historically all Nepalese legal and legislative documents have been printed on Lokta paper thanks to its durability), handmade paper also plays a big part in the lives of many natives. From creating charms to ward off evil spirits to making incense and gifts, to the use as a sticking-plaster substitute for healing cuts and fractures in remote villages, handmade paper, so it seems, is to Nepal like tea is to China! 

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