Everyday life around the hearth
A kettle, cured meat above the beams, and people sitting together: a closer look at the hearth through our family photographs.
Start with a photograph
In the photographs from our family home in Xiangxi, the hearth is surrounded by everyday things: a kettle nearby, cured meat hanging above, and people sitting down to talk and eat. Food and daily life share the same space.
These are the details we want to keep in this journal. A room, its familiar objects, and the people gathered there offer a way into the flavours that later reach the table.
Details within a living village
An account of Shibadong village published by Hunan's culture and tourism department describes hearths alongside timber houses, carved windows and the practice of smoking meat. Together, these details offer a glimpse of everyday village life.[1]
Customs vary between villages and families. Our photographs record a setting familiar to the shop's family. Readers may recognise parts of their own experience, while noticing details that are different.
References & further reading
- Traditional village conservation in XiangxiHunan Department of Culture and Tourism
Regional accounts give cultural context. Please consult the individual product page for information about shop products.
