3 intangible cultural heritage items in Taicang

Here are three intangible cultural heritage items in Taicang, a county-level city in East China's Jiangsu province.

Jiangnan Sizhu

Jiangnan Sizhu (江南丝竹) is an excellent folk musical instrument ensemble prevailing in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai. Hangzhou is an important place for the spread and development of Jiangnan Sizhu. A band of Jiangnan Sizhu is usually composed of stringed and pipe musical instruments of local cultural features.

The string music instruments included Erhu (二胡), Chung-hu (中胡), Sanxian (三弦), Beijing opera fiddle (京胡), high-pitched fiddle (板胡), dulcimer (扬琴), Pipa (琵琶), etc. The pipe musical instrument includes flute and Xiao (萧). Light percussion instrument includes Bangzi (梆子), clappers, wooden bell, finger cymbals, etc.

Jiangnan Sizhu was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006.

Taicang dried meat floss

Taicang dried meat floss has a history of about a hundred years, enjoying the same popularity with the pickled-oil.

Being one of the specialities of Taicang, the dried meat floss also won a prize in 1915 in Panama international fair.

Taicang wine-pickled oil

Taicang wine-pickled oil is made with polished glutinous rice according to secret traditional recipe. The heavy perfume of the oil can ease fishy smell, adding freshness and whet the appetite.