Tiger-head shoes and tiger-head hats

Tiger-head shoes and tiger-head hats

　　Tiger-head shoes and tiger-head hats

　　Tiger-head shoes, tiger-head hats, and cloth tigers are traditional handicrafts that have been passed down along the banks of the Dagu River in Yifengdian Town for many years. Over time, these crafts have undergone certain changes in materials and colors, but their simple and primitive charm has been preserved.

　　Tiger-head shoes, tiger-head hats, and cloth tigers are all hand-sewn using commonly available materials such as colorful fabric scraps, wheat chaff, buttons, and thread, with tools including scissors and needles. These handicrafts are both decorative and practical. Among them, tiger-head shoes and tiger-head hats come in different colors and styles for boys and girls, each carrying distinct symbolic meanings. Typically, boys wear red while girls wear green, symbolizing “a red official and a green lady,” implying that boys will “grow up healthy and free of illness,” and girls will become royal consorts. Cloth tigers can be used as home decorations or as children’s pillows—both attractive and comfortable—while also conveying parents’ heartfelt wishes for their children’s healthy growth. Nowadays, these crafts are only preserved in Mao Gongpo Village and Sunjia Village within the town, and the skills are known by only a small number of elderly women.