Tiger Hill Colored Eggs

Tiger Hill Colored Eggs

　　In the mid-Qing Dynasty, there were many painting shops around Tiger Hill. Inspired by the local Chinese custom of dyeing eggs red as auspicious gifts for weddings, celebrations, and childbirth, they began painting traditional Chinese ink artworks on empty eggshells and selling them as decorative items. Over time, colored eggs became an art craft.　　

　　　　After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Suzhou established a colored egg production cooperative, which greatly improved the painting quality and packaging design of the eggs, and significantly increased the variety of designs. The materials expanded from chicken eggshells to those of ducks, geese, and pigeons. The painting subjects ranged widely, including landscapes, figures, flowers and birds, scenery, and opera scenes. These eggs were then displayed in glass boxes or cases, attracting strong interest from tourists visiting Suzhou. Especially with the opening up of China and the development of Suzhou’s tourism industry, these “Tiger Hill specialties,” once purchased only by a small number of visitors or pilgrims, developed into a specialized industry and are now exported overseas.