![Zhizhaipad01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Zhizhaipad01.jpg)
Zhizha (), or Taoist paper art, is a type of traditional craft, mainly used as offerings in
Taoist
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...
festive celebrations and funerals. It had become a widely accepted element in religious practice since Northern
Song Dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
. It now faces a gradual loss of craftsmanship due to related environmental concerns and weakened religious belief.
Origin
Zhizha is generally perceived as a form of offering in festive celebrations and funerals. It is believed to be a substitute for living offerings in a sacrifice.
Young women in ancient China were offered as brides every year to a so called “River God” in exchange for less frequent floods. To facilitate the exchange, the women would be sacrificed. This practice was later halted by Ximen Bao of Wei due to ethical concerns.
Zhizha is the present form of offerings. It only appeared after the maturation of papermaking skills in the
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
. Its common usage came to reality in Northern Song Dynasty, when burning zhǐmǎ (paper dolls in the shape of animals) and zhǐyǒng (paper tomb figures) became popular. Effigies, which were often produced purposefully to resemble humans, took varied forms in different periods of time, from couch grass, terracotta, and eventually paper.
Usage
Zhizha art plays an important role in Chinese culture. Despite being one of the most important kinds of decorations in villages, it also serves as an important medium of communication between humans and gods in different forms.
The Zhizha art is mostly for festive or funeral decoration and offerings. During festivals which perform the Taoist ritual, “
Dajiao
Dajiao, ()''New Journey Through History 1A''. Kan, Nelson Y. Y. and Tang, Miranda K. L. Published by Aristo Education Press LTD. called the Taiping Qingjiao or Taai ping ching jiu in Hong Kong, () is a Taoist ritual and festival which is performed ...
”, Zhizha is used to make symbolic decorations such as lanterns, the models of mythic creatures and Gods in parades. During
Ghost Festival
The Ghost Festival, also known as the Zhongyuan Festival (traditional Chinese: 中元節; simplified Chinese: ) in Taoism and Yulanpen Festival () in Buddhism, is a traditional Taoist and Buddhist festival held in certain East Asian countrie ...
and
Qingming Festival, apart from
joss paper, people burn Zhizha offerings to worship gods and show respect to the ghosts of the deceased. While similarly, Zhizha is essential for a traditional Taoist funeral. Since the Chinese generally believe in an afterlife, anything needed for the deceased to enjoy their afterlives, such as houses, furniture, food, gadgets and even servants will be made into Zhizha models and burned as offerings to them.
Materials and structure
Bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...
and colored paper are used to prepare Zhizha. The manufacturing process of different offerings are similar, but for large and complex Zhizha, the production process is more time-consuming and more complicated.
Generally, to create a Zhiza, the first step is to draft the appearance on a graph. Then, the paper is cut and torn into the desired shape. A form for support made by bamboo is needed on which to glue the colored paper. It is possible to alter the shape of Zhizha to the desired form. Therefore, a large variety of Zhizha products such as apartment, mobile phones, laptops, vehicles, etc, can be made.
Zhizha evolution
Comparing Zhizha in the past to modern Zhizha, there are differences in its types and production processes.
Types of product
In the past, the types of Zhizha is simpler, as Zhizha craftsmen made products that fulfilled basic human needs for clothing, food, shelter and transportation. Common types of Zhizha includes mansions, servants, paper money and sedan chair. People believe that burning these kinds of necessities to their ancestors can ensure them a better afterlife. However, there are various types of Zhizha like iPhones, iPads and also branded products like
Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...
.
Production method
In terms of the production process, most of Zhizha in the past was hand-made, and the production cost was generally high. More recently, Zhizha work has shifted to factories in China for mass production so as to lower the cost. "Though most people can buy paper-made offerings in local stores, a quick look at taobao.com, the most popular online shopping mall in China, reveals a wide choice of paper-made items from mini-houses, Mercedes Benz cars, passports and LV suitcases to iPads and iPhones."
Zhizha therefore evolves with the era.
Craftsmanship
The craftsmen who produced Zhizha are usually recognised as zhācǎi jiàng (扎彩匠 in Chinese). Skills are passed down to the disciples from “sifus” (“masters”).
Since Zhizha is
Taoism
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmo ...
-based, a Taoist priest can be a Zhizha craftsman. They learn the craftsmanship while handling their priestly duties simultaneously. The production of paper crafts is considered as an inferior duty, thus they are often assigned to the young priests.
As revealed by Chan and Bok, Zhizha, as a kind of traditional craft, is declining at present. One of the contributing factors is the low entry rate of new craftsmen into the industry. The growing disbelief in the afterlife, and increased awareness of the pollutive nature of burning Zhizha offerings are believed the main reasons behind the decline.
[{{cite web, url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1200960/talking-dead-art-making-taoist-paper-effigies, title=Talking to the dead: the art of making Taoist paper effigies. , date=2013-03-27 , access-date=2016-03-24]
See also
*
Chinese folk religion
Chinese folk religion, also known as Chinese popular religion comprehends a range of traditional religious practices of Han Chinese, including the Chinese diaspora. Vivienne Wee described it as "an empty bowl, which can variously be filled ...
*
Chinese ancestral worship
Chinese ancestor veneration, also called Chinese ancestor worship, is an aspect of the Chinese traditional religion which revolves around the ritual celebration of the deified ancestors and tutelary deities of people with the same surname or ...
*
Ancestral shrine
An ancestral shrine, hall or temple ( or , vi, Nhà thờ họ; Chữ Hán: 家祠户), also called lineage temple, is a temple dedicated to deified ancestors and progenitors of surname lineages or families in the Chinese tradition. Ances ...
*
Ancestral tablet
A spirit tablet, memorial tablet, or ancestral tablet, is a placard used to designate the seat of a deity or past ancestor as well as to enclose it. The name of the deity or past ancestor is usually inscribed onto the tablet. With origins in tr ...
*
Joss paper
References
Practices in Chinese folk religion
Taoist practices
Taoist art