Traditional Chinese Yuekou locks

<p>In the Qing dynasty (1644–1911&thinsp;CE), the town of Yuekou, in Hubei Province, was an important and renowned lock production center. Yuekou locks produced there won high acclaim for their use of quality materials. Transported via water routes, they were marketed in other provinces in...

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Main Authors: Y. Zhang, K.-H. Hsiao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2020-11-01
Series:Mechanical Sciences
Online Access:https://ms.copernicus.org/articles/11/411/2020/ms-11-411-2020.pdf
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author Y. Zhang
K.-H. Hsiao
author_facet Y. Zhang
K.-H. Hsiao
author_sort Y. Zhang
collection DOAJ
description <p>In the Qing dynasty (1644–1911&thinsp;CE), the town of Yuekou, in Hubei Province, was an important and renowned lock production center. Yuekou locks produced there won high acclaim for their use of quality materials. Transported via water routes, they were marketed in other provinces in China and other Southeast Asian countries. Even today, Yuekou locks are the favorites of antique collectors. After the introduction of the Western-style pin tumbler lock in the 1950s, the popularity of traditional Chinese locks began to decline, and they disappeared from the market. Receiving no attention from people, they were forgotten. From 2009 to 2016, the research team visited Yuekou eight times to conduct field research and interview surviving locksmiths and their descendants, achieving significant results. There are six main types of Yuekou locks, including combination locks, regular locks, pull-back locks, maze locks, multi-stage locks, and hidden-keyhole locks. The crafting of Yuekou locks is conducted in four stages: material preparation, molding, shaping, and assembling. The entire process is operated manually. This work introduces the historical development of Yuekou locks, summarizes the verbatim interviews, explores the production of Yuekou locks, and analyzes the types and structures of Yuekou locks.</p>
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spelling doaj.art-dc179e17a0a541819891193fde9bcd6c2022-12-22T00:16:17ZengCopernicus PublicationsMechanical Sciences2191-91512191-916X2020-11-011141142310.5194/ms-11-411-2020Traditional Chinese Yuekou locksY. Zhang0K.-H. Hsiao1College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, ChinaCollections and Research Division, National Science and Technology Museum, 80765 Kaohsiung, Taiwan<p>In the Qing dynasty (1644–1911&thinsp;CE), the town of Yuekou, in Hubei Province, was an important and renowned lock production center. Yuekou locks produced there won high acclaim for their use of quality materials. Transported via water routes, they were marketed in other provinces in China and other Southeast Asian countries. Even today, Yuekou locks are the favorites of antique collectors. After the introduction of the Western-style pin tumbler lock in the 1950s, the popularity of traditional Chinese locks began to decline, and they disappeared from the market. Receiving no attention from people, they were forgotten. From 2009 to 2016, the research team visited Yuekou eight times to conduct field research and interview surviving locksmiths and their descendants, achieving significant results. There are six main types of Yuekou locks, including combination locks, regular locks, pull-back locks, maze locks, multi-stage locks, and hidden-keyhole locks. The crafting of Yuekou locks is conducted in four stages: material preparation, molding, shaping, and assembling. The entire process is operated manually. This work introduces the historical development of Yuekou locks, summarizes the verbatim interviews, explores the production of Yuekou locks, and analyzes the types and structures of Yuekou locks.</p>https://ms.copernicus.org/articles/11/411/2020/ms-11-411-2020.pdf
spellingShingle Y. Zhang
K.-H. Hsiao
Traditional Chinese Yuekou locks
Mechanical Sciences
title Traditional Chinese Yuekou locks
title_full Traditional Chinese Yuekou locks
title_fullStr Traditional Chinese Yuekou locks
title_full_unstemmed Traditional Chinese Yuekou locks
title_short Traditional Chinese Yuekou locks
title_sort traditional chinese yuekou locks
url https://ms.copernicus.org/articles/11/411/2020/ms-11-411-2020.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT yzhang traditionalchineseyuekoulocks
AT khhsiao traditionalchineseyuekoulocks