1. The historical origin of red string
The history of red string is long, and its origin can be traced back to the fairy legend in ancient folklore. In ancient times, red string was regarded as a magical artifact to protect people from evil forces. Red symbolized auspiciousness and happiness. The hand-woven red bracelet was given the magical effect of exorcising evil spirits and eliminating disasters.
In traditional Chinese culture, red has always had a special status. China has a tradition of wearing red, because China has a culture of worshipping red. Ordinary people believe that wearing red can ward off evil spirits and ensure safety. The parts where red string is worn are generally wrists, necks, ankles, trouser belts, etc.
Since the Tang Dynasty, red string has a new definition. Young men and women use red string as a token of love, implicitly expressing their love. Lovers each wear a red string on their wrists, representing being together forever and staying together for a lifetime.
The word “string” is homophonic with “god”. In the formation stage of Chinese culture, ropes were once worshiped. According to written records: “Nuwa led the rope in the mud and raised it to be a person.” Because the rope is like a coiled snake dragon, the Chinese are descendants of the dragon. In prehistoric times, the image of the dragon god was reflected by the changes in the knot. The Book of Changes records that “in ancient times, people used knotted ropes to govern, and later sages changed it to written contracts”. It can be seen that in the Paleolithic Age 100,000 years ago, our ancestors used knotted ropes to convey information, express thoughts, and help memory. The word “knot” gives people a sense of reunion, intimacy, and warmth. “Knot” is homophonic with “good luck”, and “good luck” has rich and colorful content. Fortune, wealth, longevity, happiness, wealth, peace, and health all belong to the category of good luck. The vital folk art of “knotting” has naturally become the essence of Chinese traditional culture and has been passed down to this day. Today, red ropes have become popular accessories. They are not only deeply loved by people in China, but also gradually spread to all parts of the world, becoming an indispensable part of Chinese traditional culture.
2. The production process of red rope
(I) Traditional and complex crafts
In traditional Chinese culture, the craftsmanship of making red ropes is rich and varied and full of mystery. In addition to the common weaving methods, there are also some traditional and complex craftsmanship. For example, making red ropes with peach wood soaked in water, adding salt and incense ash is believed to have the function of protecting the home. This traditional craft carries the ancient people’s yearning for a better life and awe of mysterious power.
At the same time, the intangible cultural heritage hand-woven red ropes are even more exquisitely crafted. Each rope comes from the careful weaving of the intangible cultural heritage craftsmen of Mount Wutai, and the production process is very complicated. One person can only weave five ropes a day, and if there is a slight flaw in the middle, half a day’s effort will be wasted. After the red rope is woven, it is specially taken to Mount Wutai for blessing, and the journey of good luck in the Year of the Dragon is started with a respectful heart. Each package comes with a “Mount Wutai” exclusive blessing card. Every time the seal is stamped, it accumulates a fortune. In order to make the blessing full, we specially invited the national first-class artist Wei Qiang to write the words “Good luck in a row”, and every stroke is a blessing.
(II) Presentation of various styles
There are many styles of hand-woven red ropes, which bring people rich choices. The eight-shaped knot is simple and easy to remember, and can be used as a temporary or simple stop and brake point on a rope. The flat knot ties the two ends of the same rope together, which is suitable for connecting ropes of the same thickness and material. The human knot is called the king of knots. It is easy to tie and untie, has high security, is widely used, and has many variations.
In addition, there are various red rope bracelet weaving tutorials. For example, the Chinese knot red rope bracelet weaving tutorial, first fold the red rope in half to weave a button knot, then pull three lines across the middle of the vertical axis to form a cross, and then weave a double knot at the lower end of the vertical axis, and fix it for subsequent weaving. The simple 2-strand red rope bracelet weaving method is also very popular. The two red ropes are cross-woven and beads can be added according to preference to make the bracelet more smart and cute.
The various styles of red ropes are not only exquisite, but also rich in meaning. Different knots represent different blessings, such as the diamond knot can bring good luck and protect people from harm; the phoenix tail knot is shaped like a phoenix tail, symbolizing the auspiciousness of the dragon and the phoenix, a prosperous career, and a lot of money; the auspicious knot represents the auspicious meaning, implying good things happening one after another.
3. The profound meaning of the red string
(I) Praying for a good marriage
In ancient times, the red string was regarded as a symbol of love. According to legend, Yue Lao would use a red string to tie up the marriage of destined people. When a woman wears a red string alone, she is often praying for a good marriage. In Chinese tradition, Yue Lao always uses a red string to tie up the marriage of men and women, so it goes without saying that a woman wearing a red string alone is praying for the arrival of a good marriage. In the past, in order to pray for a good marriage, older women who were waiting to get married would go to Yue Lao Temple to ask for it and wear it on their hands; wearing a red string on the hand can also indicate that they are waiting to get married and seeking a mate, which means “unmarried woman”. If a girl wears it on her right foot, it also means that she is looking forward to the appearance of true love, that is, she is waiting for the lover who will accompany her for life to appear. At the same time, the red string is also a token of love. Lovers each wear a red string on their wrists, which means they will be together forever and stay together for a lifetime. A pair of lovers wear the same red string, the man on the left and the woman on the right, just like a token, implying the eternity of love.
(II) Fortune, wealth and protection
Red string represents good luck, fortune and wealth. In Feng Shui, red is considered to be the color of fortune. Common Feng Shui items such as gourds and copper coins are tied with red string. Red string is very capable of attracting wealth. When used for this purpose, it is usually matched with jade ornaments such as fortune beads and Pixiu. Red string can also protect the body, pray and pray for peace. In the year of birth, adults need to wear red string on children’s hands to ensure that the children’s fortune is smooth in the year of birth. In Feng Shui, there is a word called offending Tai Sui. If offending Tai Sui means that the fortune this year will be relatively bad, and it may be damaged in all aspects. Therefore, wearing a red string also has the function of ensuring safety and good fortune. People in the year of birth generally have the habit of wearing red bracelets or red waist chains, believing that this can avoid evil and disasters, and people use it to express their wishes for longevity, health and good fortune. People in their “birth year” wear red and red ribbons, which express people’s life consciousness and hope that red can kill evil and drive away bad luck. Red ropes are also seen as a kind of evil-repelling object. In Feng Shui, many evil-repelling objects have red ropes, which can play a role of blessing.
