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Foreigners learn to make Shehuo facial design lanterns in Jinan

2018/5/25 16:39:36   source:sdchina.com

Recently, four foreigners, together with "Touch Shandong" column, arrived at Tianqiao district in Jinan to learn to make Shehuo facial design lanterns from Hou Zhixin, an inheritor of Shehuo facial design, an intangible cultural heritage of Jinan.

Sainzaya Boldbaatar, from Mongolia, drew with a brush on a red paper while humming a Chinese song. Then she drew three blue lines on the forehead of the facial design.

"Why are the lines on the forehead blue?" she asked.

"The three lines on the forehead of Jiang Ziya symbolize the triple purity of Taoism, which means good fortune," Hou Zhixin replied , the sixth generation successor of Shehuo facial design, known as "Lianpu Hou".

Deities worshiped by local people are usually highly distinctive, such as Guan Yu, God of Wealth, Zhong Kui, Qin Qiong and God of Happiness. Each part of the facial design highlights local characteristics including the forehead, eyebrow and tongue.

"Shehuo lanterns are usually hanging in the sitting room, implying people's yearning for a better life, and expectation of peace and harmony. " said Hou Zhixin. Posuwan Nestchanok, from Thailand, showed great interest in the name of the lantern, Sanyang Kaitai. "The name of Sanyang Kaitai not only bears people's hope for a better life but also contains the philosophy of health preservation. " Hou added.

The foreigners listened with keen pleasure and were amazed at Shehuo lanterns. They got a deeper understanding of this traditional Chinese culture and said they will take the lanterns home and hang them in their living room to continue the ancient way of prayer.

Hou Zhixin told the story of Shehuo lanterns with keen pleasure. He was so familiar with the making of lanterns that he even taught the foreigners how to make hemp ropes. "It's wonderful that foreigners like our ancestors' handicraft. As long as people want to learn it, I will teach them and pass the skill on," said Hou Zhixin.

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