Traditional Chinese Yuekou locks

Abstract

In the Qing dynasty (1644–1911 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.