Chinese oil paper umbrella, mostly seen in ancient Chinese TV dramas and seldom seen in real life, is one of those rare, less well-known products that have great, authentic values, but are mysteriously overlooked by most people, including Chinese themselves. A wonderful cultural product that is often used to symbolize feminine beauty, it is also a practical item designed to function well in different weather conditions. An extraordinary invention from southern China, it was developed from a thousand-year-old umbrella-making practice. There are many shops in Beijing that offer exquisite Chinese oil paper umbrellas, go on a Beijing day tour with a Beijing guide to discover these amazing products.

Holding an exquisite oil paper umbrella, a delicate, breathtakingly beautiful young woman walks in the rain – such is the ideal image of ancient beauty depicted in the Chinese literature. The attractive flowers, auspicious animals, and exquisite landscapes displayed by the paintings on the shades can blend in perfectly with the environment, which make the woman appear especially beautiful.

An oil paper umbrella often looks simple in design, with only a few pieces of bamboo serving as the ribs and handle, and a large piece of oil paper placed on the ribs as shade. But in fact, the making of such umbrella involves a complicated process that consists of over 80 steps. The bamboo must be careful chosen to endure strong force, and the paper needs to be coated with a layer of glutinous oil before picture can be painted on it.

Umbrella is one of the inventions of ancient Chinese. A legend says it was invented in the late Spring and Autumn period, by the wife of the famous Chinese carpenter and engineer, Lu Ban. Paper wasn’t invented until a much later time, so the material used in that period were mostly animal hide, feather, and silk.

The origin of oil paper umbrella remains a mystery to this day. Many people believe it was first made in the Tang dynasty. It is undoubtedly an invention from southern China, a region with a damp, rainy climate that must have necessitated the use of such umbrellas. During the Ming dynasty, such umbrellas became very popular.

Umbrella industry spread out across different regions in China, many of which have their own unique types of oil paper umbrellas. Following is a list of the most famous styles: Yuhang umbrella from Zhejiang province, Luzhou umbrella from Sichuan province, Jialu umbrella from Jiangxi province, Chuangsha umbrella from Hunan province, Hankou umbrella from Hubei province, Xingyang umbrella from Yunan province, and Fuzhou umbrella and Yangkou umbrella from Fujian province.

Hakka people, a branch of the Han Chinese people, have an age-old tradition of giving a woman two oil paper umbrellas as gift for her marriage. In Chinese, the character for “umbrella” is “San”, which consists of four smaller characters “Zi”, which means son. “You”, the Chinese character for “oil”, is pronounced like the character for “have”. Hakka people hope that, by having two oil paper umbrella, a woman can give birth to a lot of sons in the future.

In Beijing, remember to find a personal shopper to help you shop for some exquisite Chinese oil paper umbrellas in the city’s mesmerizing local shops.

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