West Lake Silk Parasols

(Image source: www.gotohz.com)

West Lake Silk Parasols, with its ribs made of bamboo and covers made of silk blends good-looks with artistic forms; and it’s convenient to carry. The parasols have the title of honor “flower of the West Lake”. Umbrella has a very long history in China that it’s said that it has been made 4,000 years ago. In ancient times, it was called “cover”. Similar to the fan, it was made of the feather of the birds at first. With the emergence of silk products, the silk was used to make the umbrella.

After paper was invented, the paper umbrella has become popular, especially in the Ming and Qing Dynasties when the industry of umbrellas was flourishing. Since then, the umbrellas were referred in many novels and traditional Chinese operas. As we all know, the story that Xu Xian borrowed an umbrella in the Tale of the White Snake was occurred in the Broken Bridge on the West Lake in Hangzhou.

West Lake Silk umbrellas select materials extraordinarily carefully, and are made in through an exquisite process with an attention to detail. Its round cover is made of the special silk for the umbrella. This kind of cover is as thin as the cicada’s wings, with the features of fine weaving, as well as ventilation and sunlight resistance. And it’s easy to fold. Also, the colors choices are glamorous, customers can choose light green, blackish green and apple green dye. In addition, the umbrellas may be painted with the landscape, scenery, flower and bird and the figures. The pictures may include the “Ten Views of the West Lake”, the ancient beauty, dragon and phoenix, running horse, plum and sparrow and the butterflies. All of these are so excellent that other umbrellas can’t catch up with it. The colors are plentiful that there are purplish red, peach, sky blue and orange yellow. On the cover, the various processes of painting, brushing, embroidering and drawing are used. To make a charming silk umbrella demands the three stages of selecting bamboo, making ribs and making the cover.

West Lake Silk Parasols have many different varieties. There are 10 kinds such as daily silk parasols for keeping out the light and rain, colorful rainbow umbrella, dance umbrella for the dancers on the stage and the acrobatic silk umbrella for the acrobatic actors in wire walking. Holding a silk parasol could accentuate a woman’s beauty.