Dashuhua

The tradition & historical record

Da Shuhua or Dashuhua (Chinese: 打树花; pinyin: dǎshùhuā) is a Chinese Festival of Lights tradition in Nuanquan Town, Zhangjiakou, with a history of more than five hundred years. It is shown by throwing molten iron against cold bricks to create showers of sparks which have a similar shape of leafy tree canopy. Da Shuhua has been classified as one of China's significant examples of intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ), and the provincial intangible cultural heritage in Hebei. It marks the start of the Dragon Boat Festival and also used to celebrate the Lunar New Year in China. ¹

“Da Shuhua" is the English term for the art form, literally meaning "forging tree flowers". The blacksmiths in Nuanquan named the art as Da Shuhua because the outcome of it has a shape of the leafy tree canopy. When the blacksmiths throw the molten iron against the wall, the flying sparks will present a look of tree flower. ¹

Da Shuhua is found in Nuanquan Township, Yuxian County, located Northwest of Beijing, which was built in the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) as a presidio for Beijing. Nuanquan Town, literally meaning Warm Spring Town, and the name "Nuanquan" came from the fact that there was a hot spring. It is an ancient town surrounded by mountains and has a reputation of "the First Ancient Town of Jiangxi (western area of Beijing)". People have lived in Nuanquan since the Warring States period (475BC–221 BC). There are 20,000 people currently live in Nuanquan, and the historical features and cultural heritages there are well-protected in the process of modernization. The home of Da Shuhua also known as "Hometown of Paper Cutting". Yuxian-style paper cuts combined paper cutting with theatric features and adopts woodblock watermark and Yangliuqing painting technology. The colorful and creative paper cuts are designed for decorating windows, which can enhance the festival atmosphere during the festival season. The wide variety of theatre stages in Yuxian illustrates that local folks love about Chinese Theatre as well, and the theatres were built with delicate porcelain tiles and painted with exquisite fresco. In ancient times, the Lunar New Year is the busiest time of the year in Nuanquan Town. The rich used expensive fireworks to celebrate the festival with the sounds and sparks of explosions, while the poor could not afford it8. The ironmaking industry in Nuanquan was flourished grounded on the weapon manufacturing, and the blacksmiths there inspired by the flakes of heated iron when they tried to find a cheap way to celebrate the festival. They found that the sparks created by the collision between heated iron with the cold wall have a similar scene of fireworks.