Since the establishment of the Jinzhi Bamboo Creative Classroom in 2019, the Yanshui team of the USR project of STUST has been deeply involved in the inheritance of bamboo art culture in Yanshui Disctrict, and has been deeply supported and affirmed by the local people in the area. In order to make this traditional craft more eye-catching and carry forward the splendor of the old Yanshui bamboo street, through the search for the traditional bamboo culture of the old Yanshui, the team successively launched courses for restoration or research and development of bamboo tools, and the finished bamboo tools would become the focus of the 2024 Bamboo Games.

【A group photo of STUST cultural heritage USR team opening a series of courses on bamboo making】

This year the first course was the focus of the "Bamboo Happiness" lantern show for the 111th academic year—a gourd-shaped cannonball. A few days ago, Jun-de Li, the owner of Jianying Store on Zhongzheng Road, Yanshui District, was especially invited to guide the assembly teaching of the calabash bamboo fort. Through the production process, the students had a deep understanding of the significance of the folk culture of the Lantern Festival Jialan Temple in Yanshui District. This folk activity was to hold a "fort throwing" in the square in front of the Jialan Temple around the Lantern Festival. A multicolored gourd-shaped fort was hung on a long bamboo lantern pole, and the fort was raised to a height of more than two floors, so that the participants would soar into the sky. Shooting the cannon into the fort, in addition to winning prizes provided by the temple, also meant that this year would be full of good luck.

【STUST’s gourd fort production course was held at the Yanshui public service station.】

Jianying Store has been making all kinds of festive lanterns for a long time, which has been passed down to the third generation owner Jun-de Li. It is the main manufacturer of the gourd fort, the core of the Jialan Temple Fort event during the Lantern Festival. The height of the gourd fort is about 2.2 feet, about 66 centimeters. The sound of gourd is taken from the meaning of "Fu Lu," meaning prosperity and happiness. Due to the cumbersome production steps, this course was divided into a two-day session to teach community residents. As for the production steps, students first used 4 slender bamboo slices as the base, then circle the circular bamboo slices layer by layer, and use thin iron wires at the junctions of vertical and horizontal bamboo slices. After finishing the gourd blank, they had to paste newspapers in order, then paste red paper on the outer layer to add joy, and finally paste various auspicious and blessing patterns, which symbolize peace and prosperity. A total of five groups of students participated in this course, and five forts were completed after two days of study and work.

【Boss Jun-de Li (second from left) was teaching students how to build a gourd frame during the course.】

President Cheng-wen Wu of STUST said that human life and work are in contact with culture, and because of cultural aspects, we know the basic needs of society. This time, the cultural heritage Yanshui team started from bee cannons, combined with folk festival traditions, and successively retrieved all kinds of bamboo utensils and forts that have gradually disappeared. This is based on traditional culture, a way to take hold of the needs of our society.

【Students attending a class in the STUST’s gourd fort production course】

【Students attending class on the second day of the calabash fortress production course at STUST.】