Tiger-head Shoes in Kou'an: the Art of Needles and Threads

It is a tradition in Kou'an sub-district of Taizhou's Gaogang District that people wear tiger-head shoes on festivals. Also, tiger-head shoes and cat-head shoes are common gifts that people send to relatives and friends to convey good wishes.

Kou'an tiger-head shoes [Photo via the Cyberspace Administration of Taizhou]

In the late Qing Dynasty, Wu Hesheng, the daughter of an artisan, learned traditional arts and skills like paper-cutting, painting and embroidery from her mother, Ye Yueying. Wu, who later settled in Kou'an sub-district of Gaogang District, applied these skills to the creation of tiger-head shoes. Tiger-head shoes made by Wu feature a style integrating characteristics of traditional Chinese folk arts skills and techniques in central and southern Jiangsu Province, as well as Anhui Province. Till now, these skills have been passed on through four generations and boast a history of more than 120 years.

Kou'an tiger-head shoes [Photo via the Cyberspace Administration of Taizhou]

Kou'an tiger-head shoes are famous for their various and unique styles, delicate craftsmanship, and wide-ranging patterns and themes. They are mainly divided into three kinds based on the style, namely tiger-head shoes, cat-head shoes, and moon-watching rabbit shoes. The animals are vividly created, true to life, with local characteristics combined, in which folk traditions are easy to be found in the design of the shoes.

Kou'an tiger-head shoes [Photo via the Cyberspace Administration of Taizhou]

Materials used to make Kou'an tiger-shoes are carefully selected, for example, threads used for embroidery must be silk threads woven with cocoon silk from Suzhou and Hangzhou. Embroidery is the process that has the highest requirements for artisans' skills. Eyebrows and whiskers of the animals should be embroidered with silk threads. Besides, uppers and soles of the shoes should be embroidered with patterns like flowers and grass. Shoelaces are usually red, as the color represents good luck in Chinese culture. In total, more than ten steps are involved to make the shoes, and the shoe maker should pay close attention to every little detail in the needlework, which makes animals on the shoes are as vivid as real ones.

Now, the craft of making Kou'an tiger-head shoes is included in the list of intangible cultural heritage items in Taizhou and enjoys better protection of the government.