Gujia Steamed Buns

Gujia Steamed Buns

　　The Shangwan Village clay modeling craft in Laocheng Town, Shenqiu County, originated over 400 years ago in Xiazaiwan Village under Nan Guan Neighborhood Committee of Laocheng. Locals commonly refer to Shenqiu’s clay modeling as Gujia Steamed Buns. Currently, around 3,000 people are involved in making Gujia Steamed Buns. These buns have widespread recognition and fame both locally and in surrounding areas. During Spring Festival and temple fairs, everyone who comes to Laocheng for the fair buys them. In addition, when people working away from home return to visit relatives, they often bring some Gujia Steamed Buns as gifts for family and friends. Now, Gujia Steamed Buns have gained far-reaching fame.

　　Gujia Steamed Buns originated from a family surnamed Gu in the area. During the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, a family named Gu lived near the southern foot of the old town of Shenqiu. Leveraging their favorable location, the Gus made a living by selling steamed buns and tea. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, in order to expand their business, Gu Erbiezi, a descendant of the Gu family, developed the steamed buns into an artisan craft. The tradition has been passed down to the 17th generation. During the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, Liu Lu, a court physician residing in Shenqiu, brought the buns to the imperial palace and presented them to Emperor Kangxi, after which they became tribute offerings to the royal court.

　　In the process of selling steamed buns, the Gu family learned extensively from others, innovated continuously, and gradually developed a unique steaming technique. After generations of refinement and perfection, their buns stood out and became a famous local specialty.

　　According to Gu Songtang, the 17th-generation inheritor of Gujia Steamed Buns, the production is mainly done by hand, and the tools used in the workshop remain primitive and traditional. Kneading dough and shaping the bun blanks are done on wooden boards; steaming is done exclusively in large iron pots using single-layer bamboo baskets and sorghum stalk lids, with firewood or crop straw as fuel. Using coal as fuel or steaming in mechanical cages, or employing mechanized production, will result in product deformation or cracks and flaws.

　　The craftsmanship of Gujia Steamed Buns is meticulous, involving 72 processes from wheat selection to color painting and pattern drawing. The steamed buns are perfectly round, neatly shaped, free of cracks, not skewed or twisted, standing upright without leaning and lying flat without stacking. Their appearance is white, smooth, and glossy, shining like porcelain in the sunlight. The bottom of the buns features the Yin-Yang Eight Trigrams pattern, forming the unique trademark of Gujia Steamed Buns.

　　The shapes of Gujia Steamed Buns are often inspired by common animals, fruits, fish, insects, and popular folk legends. The colorful designs combine line drawing and coloring, closely resembling the tones of Henan’s Zhuxianzhen woodblock New Year paintings. Edible pigments dissolved in liquor are applied to the bun blanks, allowing the colors to penetrate deeply, resulting in rich hues that last without fading. The various hand-sculpted and outlined dough figures come in vivid and lifelike forms, all carrying auspicious and festive meanings. For example, a monkey riding a tiger or a horse symbolizes “being appointed to an official post soon,” while small dogs, rabbits, hedgehogs, chicks, and ducklings express the laborers’ desire to decorate their lives vibrantly and wish for a happy life.

　　“In terms of color painting, Gujia Steamed Buns use a layered coloring method. Yellow is used as the base color, red for highlighting the eyes, and blue, black, and green for outlining patterns and veins. At the same time, emphasis is placed on combining coloring with line drawing—using color to convey spirit and spirit to guide color—resulting in bright yet tasteful hues, beautiful but not gaudy or overly charming, fully showcasing a festive and harmonious charm,” explained Gu Ticheng, the 16th-generation inheritor of Gujia Steamed Buns.

　　In 1958, after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the local government organized large-scale production to promote and inherit this traditional cultural art. The 15th and 16th-generation inheritors of the Gu family taught the craft to the public. Since then, the unique skills of Gujia Steamed Buns have been widely promoted and further developed. Today, it’s not only the Gu family who make these buns—over 200 households with surnames such as Li, Chen, Zhang, and Yue also produce them, each with their own workshops.

　　In 2009, Chengguan Town in Shenqiu County was recognized by the Ministry of Culture as a “Chinese Folk Art Town” due to the Gujia Steamed Buns clay modeling craft.