Tongcao Flowers: The Eternal Bloom Crafted by Fingertips
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Deep in the old alleys of Nanjing's southern district, elderly craftsmen often set up small stalls, with layers of "flower bouquets" displayed on their desks. Peonies glow like morning clouds, jasmine seems to hold morning dew, and wintersweets carry the fragrance of cold—yet upon closer inspection, none possess the fragility of real flowers. These delicate creations, which can withstand the test of time, are known as tongcao flowers, "the never-fading spring."
Upon first seeing tongcao slices, one is always amazed by the magic of this raw material. The pith of the tongcao stem is split longitudinally and becomes as flexible as paper after soaking in warm water, with the thinnest parts even able to transmit light. Elderly craftsmen say that good tongcao slices should be "as white as condensed fat and as thin as a cicada's wing." They must be made from three-year-old tongcao stems, harvested around the Qingming Festival. At this time, the moisture content of the pith is just right, making it easiest to shape. This gift from nature can be transformed into thousands of flower forms through the hands of craftsmen.
The process of making tongcao flowers is a patient with time. When cutting materials, one must follow the fiber texture; the slightest deviation will cause them to break. Dyeing requires natural mineral pigments, and repeated layers of coloring are needed to achieve the gradient of petals. The carmine red of peonies fades from the edges to the center, while the pure white of jasmine hides a hint of canary yellow at the roots. The most challenging part is shaping. Craftsmen outline the calyx with fine wire, support the petals with bamboo strips, and the warmth of their fingertips can make the tongcao curl slightly, perfectly mimicking the shyness of a fresh flower just blooming. A simple jasmine flower requires more than 20 processes, including cutting, dyeing, curling, and gluing, taking most of a day to complete.
Today, tongcao flowers are no longer just ornaments in boudoirs. In Nanjing Museum of Intangible Cultural Heritage, a set of tongcao flower ornaments titled The Twelve Beauties of Jinling attracts visitors. The tears of Xiang bamboo in Daiyu's hands and the shadow of the cold fragrance pill in Baochai's hair bun all carry stories in the texture of tongcao. Young craftsmen have integrated modern designs into tradition, and hairpins and brooches decorated with tongcao flowers have become new favorites in cultural and creative markets, giving this ancient craft a new lease of life on the fashion stage.
In late spring, looking again at the tongcao peony on the desk, one suddenly understands why ancient people favored it. The flowering period of real flowers is only about ten days, but tongcao flowers can freeze the beauty of spring. It is not a simple imitation of nature, but an eternal bookmark embroidered in time by the warmth of craftsmen's fingertips. When the wind blows through the old alleys, those quietly blooming tongcao flowers still tell the secrets of tradition and craftsmanship.