Chinese Knot Craft

Knot craft is one of China's ancient folk arts. Using colourful silk threads, they are beautiful plaited ornaments made into various kinds of auspicious patterns. This handicraft was known as far back as the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 B.C.) to produce decorations, and the tradition continued to be popular throughout Chinese history. Nowadays, knots are widely used as ornaments for clothing and decorations in houses. They are even used in modern visual designs. For instance, the logo for Beijing's bid to host the 2008 Olympics was based on a traditional knot craft design. This VCD, in Chinese and English, introduces seven basic ways to make Chinese knots.