Antiques can talk! Come and listen to them for yourself in Yubei! On the morning of July 12, the intangible cultural heritage and the antique market were opened in the Yubei District of Chongqing. In the Shuangfengqiao station, over 200 enthusiasts shared their most valuable collections with the public.
baby pillow
There was a “baby pillow” from the Qing Dynasty among the collections. It is very small and not for sleeping. Actually, patients in the Qing Dynasty placed their hands on this pillow when they ask for doctors' advices (Chinese medicine). The owner Xu Tian said that he had had this pillow for over 20 years. He also brought some currencies and daily articles from various dynasties. He is the third-generation collector in his family, and these collections were passed down from his grandparents.
Various collections display at the antique market.
“Money is not important, but the fun is. We witness to culture and history. We hold the cultural relics and are, therefore, their protectors and inheritors.” Xu Tian said that the glamour of antiques lies in their history and stories.
Unlike Xu Tian, another enthusiast travels around to look for collections–Mr. Li, a collector from Gansu who just traveled to Yubei a few days earlier, brought his precious to the market upon getting the news.
The oldest collection he brought was a bronze mask from the Han Dynasty. Several years ago, he got the mask by chance and studied it. Some ancients, after the death, tended to have their face covered with the mask. Officials and celebrities took it seriously. The higher their status is, the higher-quality and more exquisite the mask is. Some masks were even gilt.
Mr. Li believed that these odd objects could not be found anywhere else other than the antique market. He trawled every market for collections.
To strengthen the cultural tourism industry, promote spending, publicize the outstanding cultural heritage resources, and display the new image of Yubei as a fusion of culture and tourism, the creative product fair was held, and the intangible cultural heritage and the antique market opened in Yubei District. More than 200 collectors were attracted, and tens of thousands of collections brought together. Twenty related projects and other products were exhibited for sale. There were also troupes to delight the citizens.