Kylin Craft

Kylin Craft

Nominating Unit: Qingxi Town, City of Dongguan

Ever since the ancient time, Hakka in Qingxi Town in City of Dongguan has a tradition of Kylin dance. Huang Jiao, a villager of Dali Village in the Qing Dynasty, opened a Kylin store in Qingxi. The store specialized in Kylin making and sales. Since then, the technique has been handed down from generation to generation. The Kylin store gradually became famous with its Kylins widely favored by people in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan as well as overseas Hakka Chinese in various countries. The store was called “Gao Hua Kylin” which became the specifi c name of Kylins made by the Huang Family. Today the technique has been handed to the 5th generation.(https://www.daowen.com)

Gao Hua Kylin making emphasizes on Cai Zha (color bundling). It uses such materials as raw bamboo chips, calamus margaritae quality sandpaper, etc and undergoes the following procedures: splitting bamboo, binding framework, fixing, coloring, oiling, etc. The height and width of the Kylin head are all 35cm. The major features of Gao Hua Kylin head are rich paintings of peony, peach blossom, chrysanthemum, butterfly, etc with colors of red, yellow, blue, white, black, etc. decorated with all kinds of flower balls. With the delicate making technique, bright colors, vivid shape and light weight of only 1.25kg, Gao Hua Kylin head dances with light and nimble ease and in an imposing and vigorous manner.

Today, only 4 people in the Huang Family, including Huang Suming, are able to make traditional Kylin. There are few people willing to inherit the technique. The Kylin Craft in Gaohua is on the edge of being lost. There is an urgent need to support and protect the Kylin Craft.