Oil paper umbrellas

When was the last time you saw a paper umbrella (except the one in your cocktail on Saturday night)?

I used to associate bright red oil paper umbrellas with China, but since I moved to Shanghai I still hadn`t seen any. Then, during a recent trip to Suzhou (that will be featured in my next post), I finally spotted some. But that wasn`t what I was looking for unfortunately, it was just a cheap souvenir for tourists, like those you can find online or in every China town around the world.

To find the best oil paper umbrellas we have to travel all the way to Luzhou, a city in Sichuan Province (the one famous for spicy food and pandas).

The origins of oil paper umbrella are still a mystery, they might be dating back to more than one thousand years to the Tang Dynasty, but there is no doubt about the fact they have been invented in South China, where, because of the wet weather, they were a necessity.

The history of Luzhou’s oil paper umbrella can be traced back more than 400 years to the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and up to the 1970`s two third of the oil paper umbrellas sold in China used to be manufactured here.

Luzhou’s oil paper umbrellas enjoy an excellent reputation, not only because people believed that they protect against bad luck, but also because they are beautifully crafted and very resistant. Yes, you can walk under the rain holding an oil paper umbrella and you won`t neither get wet, nor struck by lightning, since no metal is being used.

Luzhou’s oil paper umbrellas are made of 100% natural materials, mainly different kind of bamboos and bark paper sourced locally, making it an environmentally sustainable craft.

Luzhou`s Red oil paper umbrellas with the Intangible Cultural Heritage logo

The craft work of making paper umbrella is nearly a full manual process, the only tools used are simple self-produced tools, and it`s quite interesting to watch. More than hundred steps are involved in making these umbrellas, which include splitting bamboos, drilling, threading, paper cutting, gluing, sun drying, etc.

During this process up to 2000 stitches can be made 

Oil paper umbrellas drying outside a workshop

Since the process is so lengthy and complex, I won`t describe it this time. 
Instead, I found this

CCTV`s video (in English) 

you can enjoy. It`s a little bit slow, so don`t expect an action movie, but you will be amazed by the manual skills of the manufacturers.

Until the mid-19th century, when the lithographic printing technology allowed introducing diverse colors to the umbrellas, Luzhou’s oil paper umbrellas came only in red, which in China is a symbol of wealth and good omen.

Nowadays we can find umbrellas hand-painted with images inspired by Chinese folklore, such as “auspicious dragon and phoenix” (seen in the video), “peacock spreading feathers” and “fairy splashing flowers.”

Oil paper umbrellas displayed in a workshop

We can certainly say that Luzhou’s oil paper umbrellas combine gracefully both practical function and artistic appeal thanks to a successful union between traditional crafts and creative innovation, making them valuable collectible items.

If you live in Shanghai, next time it rains keep your eyes peeled, you might spot me walking around holding an oil paper umbrella!