Juyuanhao bow and arrow making technique

Chaoyang District, Beijing
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Juyuanhao was a arsenal specially set up by the Qing Dynasty royal family. Its bow and arrow shop was located in the bow and arrow compound near Dongsi, Beijing. In 1957, Juyuanhao was renovated and moved to Beijing No. 1 Sporting Goods Factory, becoming a district-owned unit in Chaoyang District, near the current International Trade Building. In 1998, Yang Wentong, the ninth-generation heir of Juyuanhao, set up a shop in the Tuanjiehu residential area in Chaoyang District and revived the old business. Juyuanhao's bow and arrow making skills inherited the fine tradition of China's hyperbolic recurved compound bow. The main body of the bow is made of bamboo, with horns on the outside and tendons on the inside, and wooden bows installed at both ends. The production of the bow is divided into two links: the "white work" of the bow and the "painting work" of the decoration. Bowstrings are generally made of cowhide and cotton thread. Juyuanhao mostly uses cotton thread. The steps of arrow making mainly include adjusting the rod, beating the skin, scraping the rod, installing the arrowhead and tail feathers, etc. The Juyuanhao Yang family of bow making won the Panama World Expo award in its early years. Out of his love for traditional bow and arrow skills and his awareness of cultural heritage, Yang Fuxi resolutely gave up his original job and learned from his father Yang Wentong, fully inheriting the full set of skills of the Juyuanhao Royal Bow and Arrow Workshop of the Qing Dynasty. The raw materials, tools, and techniques used by Juyuanhao to make bows and arrows are similar to those recorded in "Kaogongji", "Mengxi Bitan", and "Tiangongkaiwu". The various bows and arrows made by Juyuanhao are of high quality and well received by all walks of life. He was invited to Hong Kong to participate in the Asian Archery Exchange Activities, and was reported by CCTV and many media. The inheritance and development of Juyuanhao's bow and arrow making skills are now facing great difficulties. Yang Fuxi lives in poverty, has poor working conditions and environment, and has no apprentices to inherit his skills. If protection measures are not taken in time, it is only a matter of time before the skills are lost.

Intangible culture related to the heritage

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