A New Beginning with Buckles — Buckle-Making Workshop

Based on the exhibition "The Director's Room: Cai Chusheng," the "A New Beginning with Buckles — Buckle-Making Workshop" centers on the buckle and clothing culture of the Republican era. By combining traditional buckle-making techniques—recognized as intangible cultural heritage—with contemporary creative practices, the workshop was held successively at the Jiangnan Film Archive and at special International Women's Day events at Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art, offering the public an immersive experience in traditional craftsmanship. Throughout the workshop, participants learned about the historical origins, cultural significance, and basic techniques of buckle-making, guided by a master of the craft. They also crafted their own Republican-era style buckles by hand. By creatively repurposing old clothes and bags with these buckles, participants experienced the artistic allure and contemporary relevance of traditional craftsmanship, while also experiencing the innovative expression of intangible cultural heritage skills in contemporary life.