NANJING, April 14 (Xinhua) — A brand new chain of espresso retailers has sprung up within the metropolis of Wuxi, east China’s Jiangsu Province, themed on the traditional Huishan clay figurine tradition — with just a few trendy variations.
The NANIMOMO Cafe chain has expanded quickly since May final yr, regardless of the pandemic, and now has 11 branches in operation. The espresso retailers show a variety of collectible figurines and associated cultural and artistic merchandise. In addition to ingesting espresso, guests can have a go at making clay sculptures on web site in the event that they like.
Huishan clay collectible figurines are made from the black clay discovered on the foot of Huishan Mountain in Wuxi. They are mentioned to have a recorded historical past of greater than 400 years and are listed within the first batch of China’s nationwide intangible cultural heritage in 2006. In Wuxi dialect, Huishan clay collectible figurines are pronounced “NANIMOMO.”
Originally, the collectible figurines had been made by the native residents on the foot of Huishan Mountain throughout the slack farming season. Later, skilled workshops emerged in Huishan, with the manufacturing peaking within the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. However, the custom subsequently went into decline.
In 1954, the native authorities organized artists and workshops and arrange a cooperative to supply Huishan clay collectible figurines. Four years later, the Huishan clay figurine manufacturing facility was formally established, and the business was revived.
In its heyday, the manufacturing facility had almost 1,000 folks creating, designing, producing and promoting clay collectible figurines. The merchandise had been bought at house and overseas, with Japan a serious export vacation spot. Then, within the final decade, the marketplace for conventional clay collectible figurines — which had been comparatively easy in form and low in manufacturing effectivity — step by step shrank.
The variety of staff was a lot lowered, and it was tough to draw younger folks to be taught the craft, based on Zhou Hanqing, a senior artist on the manufacturing facility.
In latest years, nonetheless, Wuxi has carried out a sequence of reforms and improvements within the cultural subject, together with introducing personal capital to revive conventional cultural industries and selling the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage initiatives.
In 2020, the Huishan clay figurine manufacturing facility was taken over by a personal enterprise in Wuxi. The manufacturing facility seized the chance to combine conventional intangible heritage tradition with rising espresso tradition as a way of reviving the business. NANIMOMO Cafe was born two years later.
“More and more young people love coffee, and integrating the display and experience of Huishan clay figurines into the coffee shop brings this intangible cultural heritage to the attention of young people again,” mentioned Song Xilian, head of operations at NANIMOMO.
The two most well-known conventional collectible figurines are “A Fu” and “A Xi,” which means “good fortune” and “joy”. Now, the manufacturing facility has designed and produced a number of new collectible figurines, resembling NANI and MOMO, that are extra trendy and engaging to younger shoppers. There are additionally a number of cute and colourful characters carrying several types of meals for which Wuxi is legendary: spareribs, peaches and steamed buns.
In addition, a variety of cultural and artistic merchandise, from faculty provides to each day requirements, that includes the pictures of Huishan clay collectible figurines, at the moment are being bought. The manufacturing facility has even signed contracts with native corporations to design clay collectible figurines for his or her manufacturers.
Through such improvements, the manufacturing facility has been turning an excellent revenue lately.
This yr, Wuxi proposed within the authorities work report that it could implement the innovation challenge for intangible cultural heritage to develop the affect of Xiju, also called Wuxi Opera, pink stoneware, Huishan clay collectible figurines, effective embroidery and bamboo carving. The Huishan clay figurine business is predicted to be developed additional.
“There is no contradiction between inheritance and innovation. Only by integrating intangible cultural heritage into modern life can we improve protection and inheritance,” Zhou mentioned.