Travel Devices of the Ancients

Travel Device of Ancients: Xie Gong Clogs.

The Xie Gong Clogs, also known as Xie's Clogs, are a kind of traditional folk handmade wooden clogs in Xieao Town, Cangnan County, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China. The history of Xie's clogs can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty, and now has a history of more than 500 years. Xie Gong Clogs are very important shoes in traditional Chinese culture. They first appeared in the Tang Dynasty and were created by Xie An, the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, hence the name "Xie Gong Clogs". The Xie Gong Clogs have many unique designs, such as high soles, coolness and breathability, making them ideal for the humid climate of southern China.

The Xie Gong Clogs are famous for their special design and craftsmanship. It uses hardwood as raw material and undergoes tedious and complicated hand-carving, trimming and polishing processes to make a pair of clogs with fresh color and beautiful shape. Each pair of clogs has an independent design pattern, which makes it comfortable to wear and walk freely, and it is not easy to fall down with non-slip function.

In addition to their functionality, Xie Gong clogs also have cultural connotations. In local folklore, Xie Gong Clogs were invented and made by Xie Renzu in the Ming Dynasty. Legend has it that Xie Renzu, in order to help farmers solve their starting difficulties, processed local wood into clogs to make it easier for them to navigate through the mountains and muddy paths. Therefore, Xie Gong Clogs are regarded as Xie Renzu's representative work and have become one of the symbols of the Cangnan region.

Nowadays, with the development of modernization, Xie Gong Clogs have gradually withdrawn from people's daily life. However, Xie Gong Clogs are still worn at some local folk culture festivals as a way to honor the history and cultural connotations of this traditional handicraft.