Qian Deyuan's technique of making velvet flowers and birds is a traditional art project in the fifth batch of representative projects of Huai'an's municipal intangible cultural heritage. Historical evolution and distribution Qian Deyuan's technique of making velvet flowers and birds is a handicraft art that uses dyed silk and copper wire to make flower, bird, insect and fish shapes. It has a history of more than 160 years. During the Jiaqing period (1796-1820), Qian Weichen, a flower maker from Qiantang, Zhejiang, came to Hexia, Huai'an on the Grand Canal to make a living. He founded the "Qian Deyuanhao" flower shop on Guiyi Street in Hexia, Huai'an, making and operating handicrafts such as velvet flowers, velvet birds and silk flowers. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Huai'an was one of the four major cities along the Grand Canal, a hub for water transport and a key point for salt transport. It had the Governor's Office of Water Transport and the Governor's Office of Jiangnan River. It also attracted many foreign merchants and literati to gather here. The prosperous market and large population provided a superior humanistic environment for the production and dissemination of Qian Deyuan's velvet flowers and birds. Qian Weichen passed on the craftsmanship of making velvet flowers and velvet birds to his son Qian Xijun and grandson Qian Guonong. The family tradition has been passed down for more than a hundred years. The velvet flower and velvet bird products are sold to Linyi, Tancheng and Mengshan in southwest Shandong. Basic content and important value Qian Deyuanhao's velvet flower and velvet bird production mainly uses silk and copper wire as basic raw materials, and is refined through more than ten processes. The first priority is to select materials. The first batch of silk in spring is selected. In early spring, the mulberry leaves are tender, and the silk spit out is bright and smooth, with bright colors, and the products are dazzling. Pure brass wire has good ductility and can be rubbed repeatedly. It is supplemented with pure natural plant dyes. Then, the silk must be boiled, colored, banged, and covered to prepare. The second step is to make a draft. According to needs, the copper wire is made into the shape of flowers, birds and animals, and then the prepared silk thread is cut, knives, and brakes. The third main step is to put the strips, that is, to clamp the prepared velvet on the copper wire to make the bird's body, feathers, wings, etc. The last step is assembly, which involves splicing the finished bird body, wings, tail, feet, etc., and adding eye crowns to shape them. The business of plush flowers and plush birds of "Qian Deyuanhao" is booming. It mainly adopts a different production concept from others, with exquisite materials, vivid shapes, and a distinct sense of the times. For example, "Double Happiness" was originally a single word "happiness". Qian Xijun innovated to spell the single word "happiness" into "double happiness". During the Republic of China period, birds, chickens, peacocks, monkeys, tigers and other products were produced according to the needs of the market and the people. The exquisite skills and wisdom of folk artists made these birds and beasts vivid. They once became desk pieces for literati and children's favorite objects. Sales increased significantly at one time, and many helpers were hired. They inadvertently contributed to the inheritance and innovation of folk art. They have been passed down from generation to generation and were very popular. The representative works produced by Qian Deyuanhao include peacocks spreading their tails, red-crowned cranes, chickens, the word "sky", the word "shou", three yuan, double happiness, full happiness, and pen-setting. Qian Deyuan's plush flower and plush bird making technique is an integral part of traditional handicrafts and folk culture, carrying the typical memory of regional history, culture and folk customs, and has a certain reference value for the study of the development of traditional handicrafts and folk customs in Huai'an. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)