Changzhi Duijin

Changzhi Duijin

Changzhi Duijin is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　 Changzhi Duijin, also referred to as "Duihua," is a kind of folk painting handicraft and a specialty of the Changzhi area. Its origin is not clearly documented, but based on existing materials, it had already gained fame by the late Qing and early Republican eras.

　　 The rich natural resources, deep cultural heritage, simple customs, and talented artisans of the ancient city of Changzhi have endowed Changzhi Duijin with a bold artistic style and exquisite craftsmanship. This has allowed this art form to present its unique charm among the diverse garden of Chinese folk handicrafts.

　　 Changzhi Duijin mainly uses silk fabrics as the primary material, with strawboard paper and cotton forming the framework. It involves over ten production processes including cutting, attaching decorative borders, pressing paper twists, layering cotton, shaping hard folds, molding soft pleats, and rendering colors. The individual pieces are small and exquisitely crafted. For example, figures typically range from 15 to 25 centimeters in height. Variations in the thickness of cotton used and the diameter of the paper twists applied to edges, along with the sequence changes during folding and pressing, create a certain sense of three-dimensionality. The making of figures' heads, hands, accessories, and props requires particularly fine workmanship — fingers as small as two millimeters in diameter must be padded with cotton and covered with silk. Headdresses and props are made from gold and silver foil into highly intricate patterns, with some parts even hand-painted.

　　 Early Changzhi Duijin was primarily used to make gift items. These included standing screens placed on display cabinets, as well as central panels and hanging scrolls covering areas as large as over ten square meters. Their designs often featured auspicious motifs reflecting seasonal customs and life rituals.

　　 Among the most influential artisans of Changzhi Duijin were Li Mo (?–1931) and his son Li Shizhong (1890–1967) from the Li family in Luofang Lane, our city. Through years of artistic dedication and continuous innovation, they became versatile masters proficient in both painting and craftsmanship, making invaluable contributions to the formation and development of Changzhi Duijin. Around 1910, they were invited to work in the central Shanxi and Taiyuan areas. For nearly three years, they created a series of Duijin works for military and political figures such as Feng Yuxiang, Wu Peifu, and Yan Xishan, as well as local elites, earning widespread acclaim and rapidly growing their reputation. In 1915, their four-season hanging scroll set titled “Spring Peach,” “Summer Lotus,” “Autumn Chrysanthemum,” and “Winter Plum” won a silver medal at the Panama Exposition. Unfortunately, the medals, certificates, and other physical artifacts from that time were lost during the war.

　　 From its inception until the pre-cooperative period after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Changzhi Duijin was passed down within families under the tradition of “teaching daughters-in-law but not daughters.” After Li Mo passed away in 1931, the production of Changzhi Duijin gradually declined, and the techniques deteriorated. The Li family artisans mostly switched to painting and paper-hanging. After Li Shizhong, no more all-round masters emerged.

　　 In 1953, Duijin artisans including Li Shizhong, Li Shijie, Chen Yuzhen, and Li Song joined the Changzhi Painting and Paper-Hanging Cooperative (the predecessor of the Municipal Arts and Crafts Factory), forming the first production group for Changzhi Duijin. At this stage, Duijin was not produced for profit and quantities remained small. Works included traditional themes such as “Li Mi’s Diligent Study,” “Zhang Qian’s Quest for Origins,” “Reading by Leaf Shine,” and “Carving a Boat to Find a Sword,” as well as contemporary subjects like “Singing for Peace” and “Heroes Forever.” Some of these pieces were given as gifts to visiting delegations from North Korea and the Soviet Union. After the autumn session of the Canton Fair in 1964, Changzhi Duijin began to be exported. Between 1965 and 1966, the Changzhi Arts and Crafts Factory produced 4,000 sets of hanging scrolls and single-panel artworks, including the “Eight Immortals” set, “Heroines,” “Fairy Scattering Flowers,” “Grapes Are Ripe,” and “Happy Childhood,” along with boxed products. From 1972 to 1979, another batch of boxed Duijin gift sets and foldable Duijin paper baskets were produced for export. During this period, while still using silk as the main material, artisans also drew inspiration from emerging craft painting techniques, expanded the range of materials used, and diversified production methods. They created innovative Duijin pieces with clear themes, clever compositions, accurate representations, harmonious design, bright colors, and novel packaging. These became the next-generation versions of Changzhi Duijin. These new-style Duijin pieces were exhibited at the 1978 National Arts and Crafts Exhibition and several provincial shows. Works such as “Moon Worship” and “Listening to the Zither” even won the Provincial Arts and Crafts Innovation Award in 1979.