In the Footsteps of XiangShanBang Craftsmen: A Legacy of Building Craftsmanship

The mortise-and-tenon joinery, roof-ridge ornamentation and paving patterns of Jiangnan architecture embody the ingenuity of traditional building crafts.
An Exhibition Exploring the Traditional Construction Techniques of XiangShanBang at the XJTLU Museum officially opens. All faculty and students are invited to discover the boundless charm of the Xiangshan Bang traditional architectural construction techniques, a national intangible cultural heritage.
Rooted in Suzhou's local intangible cultural heritage, this exhibition explores XiangShanBang construction techniques through four perspectives: historical origins, core crafts, classic buildings and contemporary transmission. It invites visitors to discover the craftsmanship of Jiangnan and explore its connections with contemporary learning, design and digital technologies.In Suzhou, XiangShanBang is an architectural school of master builders skilled in garden construction. Historically, XiangShanBang craftsmen played a part in building all of Suzhou's gardens. Through generations of garden-building practice, they have accumulated extensive experience and refined skills, passing them down from one generation to the next. Combining building technology with architectural artistry, XiangShanBang traditional construction techniques are celebrated as an outstanding expression of Suzhou-style architecture. In 2006, the State Council approved their inclusion in the first batch of China's National List of Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage.

On 8 October and 16 October, XJTLU Museum hosted the XiangShanBang Traditional Craft Workshop at X Bar and XEC Museum. Through guest sharing and hands-on mortise-and-tenon assembly, participants explored the history, craft system and contemporary development of XiangShanBang building traditions.On 20 October, XJTLU Museum organised a study tour exploring XiangShanBang craftsmanship. Held alongside the exhibition “In the Footsteps of XiangShanBang Craftsmen: A Legacy of Building Craftsmanship”, the tour took students and staff to Chengxiang Hall, the Taihu Ancient Architecture Exhibition Room and the Kuai Xiang Ancient Architecture Museum. Site visits and expert-led explanations brought Jiangnan’s building traditions into focus beyond the campus exhibition.