Weicheng cloth toys originated from the folk. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, young women in urban and rural areas of Weixian often used cloth to sew some daily necessities and decorations to beautify life and express good wishes. For example, sewn tiger-head hats and cat-head shoes, etc., worn on children, not only make the children look majestic and beautiful, but also imply the elimination of disasters and the healthy growth of children. There are also many kinds of cloth toys such as spice pouches, tiger-head strings (a string of various small cloth toys such as tiger heads, brooms, dustpans, cucumbers, gourds, etc.), glasses cases, cigarette packs, sewing boxes, etc. These cloth toys are also used for etiquette exchanges and become gifts between relatives and friends. Later, cloth toys gradually developed into commodities. Some of them used them to support their families. They were made all year round and passed down from ancestors. The old Weixian cloth toy crafts gradually developed. After liberation, this traditional handicraft was highly valued. In 1958, Hao Guijun, a designer at Weifang Embroidery Factory, made several cloth toys with scraps from costumes. They were trial-sold at the Canton Fair and were well received by foreign businessmen. In 1972, Weifang Arts and Crafts Research Institute reformed the cloth toy craft. In 1973, cloth toy sales entered the international market. This traditional folk handicraft filled the gap in the export of folk cloth toys at Shandong ports. In 1978, at the National Arts and Crafts Exhibition, the cloth toy "Lion Rolling Embroidered Ball" was rated as one of the 10 excellent products and was selected as a commemorative stamp pattern by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. In 2007, at the 24th Weifang International Kite Festival and the 2nd World Kite Capital Tourism Festival Exhibition, Weicheng cloth toys won the Weifang Top Ten Tourism Products Award. There are now various varieties of cloth toys, from 6 varieties such as cloth tigers and lions in 1958 to more than 300 varieties. The themes are mostly animals, integrating appreciation and practicality, such as needle punches, needle boxes, thread storage boxes, purses, wallets, jewelry boxes, tiger-head slippers, etc., which are deeply loved by the public. Cloth toys have also evolved from cloth handicrafts in the 1950s to handicrafts made of cloth, fur, gold and silver threads as the main raw materials. The shapes are highly exaggerated, and the spirit is better than the appearance. Information source: Weifang Local History and Records Office (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) Information source: Weifang Local History and Records Office (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)