Join in on our adventure tying Chinese knots!

 
We joined together with Chinese students to learn the traditional Chinese art form of tying knots. Knotting is a form of Chinese folk art which began in the Tang and Song Dynasty. It has a long history in China and you can buy these decorative knots almost anywhere you go in China, but the skill to make them is not one that many know.


▲ Our teacher, Midoo explained how to start making knots by first pinning down the cords.
 

▲ We used colorful pins to hold our knots in place.


▲ Some students started by attempting decorative dragonflies.
 

▲ Chinese knots are woven to form a variety of shapes, both simple and complex, and can include shapes such as dragonflies, fish and butterflies.
 

▲ Hard at work, making the cord just the right length.
 
Knots can come in a variety of colors, such as gold, green, blue or black. Red is the most commonly used color, because it symbolizes good luck and prosperity.
 



▲ Forming the knots can become very complicated, so we used pins to keep them organized as we tied them.
 
Proudly displaying our finished products!








 
Everyone had a great time creating their own!
 
Each knot has its own symbolic meaning, such as prosperity, unity, friendship, love etc. and are often given as gifts to express warm wishes to friends and loved ones.
 

 
By learning to make your own, it adds significance and meaning to each knot and a deeper understanding of its special place in Chinese culture.
 

 
With just a piece of cord and some simple knot tying techniques, each person was able to create their own masterpiece with unique meaning.
Join us next time to experience for yourself unique Chinese art forms like this!