SIP’s Shengpu Sub-district is widely known for its three cultural treasures, namely traditional costumes, Shengpu folk songs and xuanjuan (a traditional storytelling and ballad singing in Suzhou dialect) which were jointly recognized as part of Suzhou’s intangible cultural heritage list in 2007 and part of Jiangsu province’s intangible cultural heritage list in 2009.

The traditional costumes for women, with a history of nearly 5,000 years, consist of exquisite hair accessories, upper outer garment, apron and trousers with splicing patterns, tight ankle wrappings and boat-shaped shoes with embroidered patterns to demonstrate women’s ingenuity and elegance. 

 

Shengpu folk songs, originated in Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), were identified as an intangible cultural heritage item for its comprehensive manifestation of the work and life of the people in the sub-district and its surroundings. It is learnt that the Collection of Shengpu Folk Songs was published in 2017, comprising more than 300 love songs, antiphonal songs, farmers’ songs, songs about daily life, nursery rhymes as well as new-style folk songs.

 

Xuanjuan was used in Southern Song Dynasty to disseminate Buddhist doctrines and later became an important part of temple fair, wedding and other celebrations. Statistics show that only about 140 of nearly 1,000 ancient xuanjian scripts have been preserved in the area.