National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Sagyeongjang can refer to either the art of copying Buddhist texts or to the masters of this art. Sutra copying enjoyed its heyday during the Goryeo Dynasty when Buddhism gained widespread popularity. During the reign of King Chungnyeol, the Goryeo court dispatched to China hundreds of Buddhist monks trained in sutra copying. Although sutra copying declined during the Joseon era with the adoption of Confucianism as the governing philosophy, the Buddhist practice lived on with the support of certain royal family members and Buddhist temples. The ink transcription of the Avatamsaka Sutra (Flower Garland Sutra) from the Unified Silla era, designated National Treasure, is the oldest surviving artifact in Korea testifying to the sutra copying practice. The art of sutra copying is generally comprised of three parts: transcribing text, reproducing byeonsangdo paintings, and decorating the cover with a design of Buddhist figures or plants. It is further divided into 10 different steps: color formation with gold powder, glue making, surface treatment of the paper, paper cutting, connecting paper sheets, line drawing, writing text by hand, drawing byeonsangdo paintings, decorating the cover with a drawing, and treating the cover with gold powder. It demands expert knowledge of calligraphy, Chinese characters, Buddhist theory, and painting. Furthermore, intense concentration over long periods is essential. * Sagyeong (寫經): The practice of transcribing Buddhist scriptures or the resulting transcripts. Sutra copying is intended to disseminate Buddhist texts or cultivate merit. * Byeonsangdo (變相圖): Paintings illustrating the teachings of the Buddha

Sericulture and Silk Craftsmanship refers to the craftsmanship applied in traditional sericulture, silk dyeing and weaving process, which has been handed down from generation to generation, and relevant folk-customs derived thereby. China’s sericulture and silk craftsmanship boasts a history of 5000 years. The silk fragments, preliminary loom and potteries decorated with silkworm patterns excavated from sites dating 4000 years ago in the Taihu Lake area; demonstrate the time-honoured history of the sericulture and silk production in the region. Alongside the historical process, traditional manufacturing craftsmanship develops, and the main elements include: Mulberry planting: including cultivation of mulberry seedling, mulberry trimming, and various methods of engraftment; Silkworm production: including the selection, hybridization, and breeding of silkworm eggs, incubation, instruments for silkworm rearing, control of the temperature and humidity, and frame mounting methods; Silk reeling: including sorting and stripping of cocoons, ways for preserving the cocoons such as drying and salting, temperature control and process for boiling the cocoons, facilities and techniques for silk reeling, etc; Silk floss making: including techniques of water rinsing and tearing; Weaving tools: including various looms such as treadle looms, multi-shaft and multi-treadle patterning looms, lesser draw looms, greater draw looms, etc, and arrangement of heddle drafts and programming of patterns on draw looms; Design and weaving of fabrics: including the design and weaving of various structures and patterns, such as the Shuanglin silk damask which is calendared by stamp rocks, the Hang gauze with warps crossed, the Shu silk with warp-faced patterns, the Song-style silk in lampas weave, and Kesi woven in tapestry structures.

China 2009

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Baecheop refers to a traditional method of making a scroll, frame or folding screen for preserving calligraphic letters and pictures. Baecheopjang refers to an artisan belonging to the Dohwaseo (Bureau of Painting). The skill continued to develop during the Unified Silla (668 – 935) and Goryeo (877 – 1394) Periods. In the Joseon Period (1392 – 1910), artisans skilled in picture mounting were designated as Bacheopjang. There are five types of picture mounting – making scrolls, making folding screens, making frames, binding and refurbishing.