Reported by Xinhua News Agency | Liu Zhongping, inheritor of intangible cultural heritage of Foshan woodblock New Year paintings:
2024-02-08
With the sound of gongs and drums, the footsteps of the Spring Festival are approaching. Close your eyes and feel the sound of family reunion in your ears. Your nose seems to smell the fragrance of the colorful flowers in the southern region, and your tongue feels like you have tasted the excellent taste of your hometown's specialty dishes... On Pujun South Road in Chancheng District, Foshan City, this street, known as the "alley" by the elderly, stands quietly surrounded by the smoke and fire of the market, with an inconspicuous old shop standing tall. As people approach, the golden and red New Year paintings and faint ink aromas that come into view evoke unique memories of the year, which is precisely the charm of Foshan woodblock New Year paintings. Liu Zhongping, the representative inheritor of Foshan Woodblock New Year Painting, one of the first national level intangible cultural heritage representative projects, has been practicing for ten years. She is on the road of honing her skills and inheriting intangible cultural heritage skills. As the Chinese New Year approached, she told a reporter from Xinhua News Agency about her story with Foshan woodblock New Year paintings. The first batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative projects, Foshan Woodcut New Year Paintings City level representative inheritor Liu Zhongping's "Door God Tour": Foshan Woodcut New Year Paintings contain expectations for a better life, and are known as "Door God Tour" in the industry. They are folk cultural products with festival themed characters such as "Door Gods". Foshan is the main production area of woodblock New Year paintings in southern China, and the industry was once very prosperous. Handmade Foshan New Year paintings are not only sold in Foshan and the Lingnan region, but also brought to Southeast Asia with the ancestors of the Lingnan region making a living by going abroad. The traditional customs and culture of Lingnan, represented by Foshan New Year paintings, have also been brought to Southeast Asia. For a long time, the production techniques of Foshan New Year paintings have mainly been inherited by families. Liu Zhongping's mentor, Feng Jun, is a senior member of the "Gate God Xing" and is also known as "Gate God Jun" by his peers. The "Feng Jun Ji" he manages is an old brand in the industry. "'Feng Junji 'can be seen as the IP or brand we are talking about now. According to my master Feng Bingtang, when my master's New Year paintings were exported overseas, they were exempt from inspection. Moreover, because my master's craftsmanship was excellent and his business was honest, Feng's old shop gained fame." Liu Zhongping explained. The Foshan woodblock New Year paintings that are waiting to be dried are now located in the "Xixiang" where Feng's woodblock New Year painting old shop is located. It was once a gathering place for the industry, and during its heyday, dozens of New Year painting workshops operated here, with over 4000 employees. "The more mature the industry develops, the finer its division of labor. In the past, there were different divisions of labor in the industry, such as painters, engravers, and engravers. For example, 'Feng Junji' mainly focused on the process of opening paper and printing. 'Liu Zhongping's master, Feng Bingtang, grew up in' Xixiang 'and learned the craft of making woodblock New Year paintings from his father.". After the establishment of New China, with the development of the times and society, woodblock New Year paintings gradually declined. "Xixiang" has also transformed from a gathering place for New Year painting shops into a bustling residential area. In 1998, Feng Bingtang, who had already retired, learned about the country's support for traditional handicrafts at that time, coupled with the increasing demand for New Year paintings from his old neighbors. With a sense of mission to inherit traditional skills, Feng Bingtang decided to reopen the Feng's woodblock New Year painting shop at the original location of the old shop in Xixiang. Liu Zhongping sighed and said, "Where people are, skills are. Although my master had not been exposed to woodblock New Year paintings for over a decade at that time, he followed them since childhood."
Edit：He Chuanning Responsible editor：Su Suiyue
Source：Outlook New Era
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