The Trace of Jiangsu Intangible Cultural Heritages in Ming-Qing Novels.

Both the material and cultural forms of Jiangsu intangible cultural heritages (ICHs) were described in Ming and Qing novels, especially in those full--length social novels. Corresponding with the regions and names of national intangible cultural heritages, the novels mostly described these ICHs associated with the regions such as embroidery--Suzhou, Cloud--pattern Brocade--Nanjing, etc. Except as a kind of provenance related to those local products, the ICHs were also described in other places in Ming and Qing novels, especially in northern China, the residents usually felt honorable if they could own those southern ICHs, which suggests ICHs spread extensively at that time. However, those novels merely described the lives of upper classes, so that we can hardly find the records on how to make those ICHs at that time. The thirty--seven ICHs in Jiangsu mostly developed and matured in Ming and Qing Dynasties, so it is of great realistic significance for us to look for traces from Ming and Qing novels so as to protect, preserve and investigate these ICHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]