Tiehua is an art form not only on display at exhibitions, preserved in museums, or sold in gift shops. It is also an object that people enjoy in their daily life. Back in the eighteenth century, literati put up tiehua in the living room. They invited friends over to appreciate tiehua and composed poems to celebrate the beauty of tiehua. Later they even used tiehua to frame lanterns to illuminate their rooms. Today, tiehua is displayed in homes, offices, restaurants, and many public spaces. More often than before tiehua is used as a gift. Students who have passed entrance exams or have recently graduated present tiehua to honor teachers and schools. And relatives exchange tiehua during holiday seasons.
In this section, we will introduce how tiehua is used in people’s daily life today. By exploring how tiehua is displayed, arranged, installed, and used spatially and culturally (beyond the museum and gift shop settings), we want to understand tiehua in relation to the world in which we live and the connection between objects and the cultural meanings they symbolize.
Here are some pictures of how tiehua is present in people’s daily life in today’s China.
1. Eight Scenic Views of Wuhu (Tiehua) at Chongqing
2. Tiehua @ Wuhu 29th Middle School
3. A tiehua at a Restaurant
4. Tiehua at Tieshan Hotel
5. Tiehua at a Wuhu Church
6. Tiehua at Wuhu Street
7 Tiehua for Teachers (Shouxian 2rd High School School), produced by Feilong Tiehua
8. Tiehua at Wuhu Garden, Chongqing
Wuhu Garden at Chongqing
9. Tiehua at a office in Shanghai
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Wuhu Tiehua 