China News Service Shaoyang, May 12 Question: Interview with "Bao Qingwei" Armed Lovers: Retaining the Cultural Memory of Valiant and Valiant
Author Zhou Zhibin Wang Haohao
Put on the stubborn and sharp, board the stirrup and mount it. Behind the flying flag was a line of soldiers lined up neatly and waiting to go out. The armor under its brilliance shone with dazzling cold light in the sun ... The ancient war scenes common in these TVs became real and vivid due to a group of young people in Shaoyang, Hunan, who loved weapons and equipment. Recently, the author came to the "Bao Qingwei" weapon equipment enthusiasts studio (hereinafter referred to as "studio") in Shaoyang City, and visited this group of young people with special hobbies.
Entering the studio, the restoration display and production workshop of weapons and equipment such as bows, arrows, shields, armor, etc. are eye-catching. Tan Zhouzhou, a 34-year-old Shaoyang native, is exchanging knowledge on armament with friends. He has been an art teacher in a middle school in Shaoyang since he was young.
"Once, my student Deng Jiahao and I met at the archery event and learned that he is also an armor enthusiast." Tan Zhouzhou said that their common interest made them inseparable friends, often discussing and exchanging ancient weapons and equipment knowledge together , Armor is their main topic.
The sword displayed in the studio. Photo by Liu Enquan
"The reason why we love traditional armament is because we always feel that the blood of our predecessors is still flowing in the body. Armor and other armaments are a kind of cultural memory of Shangwu. We want to restore it and reproduce a period of history." Tan Zhouzhou and Deng Jiahao met on the idea of building a team and advocating more people to advocate traditional culture.
Shaoyang has a long history and is called "Baoqing" in history. Martial arts has a good mass foundation in Shaoyang. The military system of the Ming dynasty implemented a guard station system. In the five years of Ming Hongwu (1372), the court began to install "Bao Qingwei" in Baoqing Mansion, and began the history of Baoqing's large-scale garrison. Therefore, Tan Zhouzhou and Deng Jiahao used the symbol of “Bao Qingwei” as a team name.
Shaoyang has a lot of arms lovers, and now there are more than 50 team members who often gather in the studio to communicate, and there are more than 100 people in various peripheral arms lovers. Their studio was initially small, and later Deng Jiahao contributed a temporary factory building of about 200 square meters to serve as a venue for team members to exchange and restore exhibits.
Hu Yajie in armor and bow. Photo by Liu Enquan
Tan Zhouzhou said that some ordinary people's homes in the world have medieval armor, which is a tribute to the merits of their ancestors and a heritage of family history and culture. Inspired by this, he decided to restore the armor first. By consulting a lot of information, he learned that armor is mainly divided into two categories: ceremonial and actual combat, and the ceremonial armor is more ornamental and artistic. Tan Zhouzhou, who has a profound artistic background, designed manuscripts for the restoration of armor based on pictures and text.
Outside the workshop, the team members set up a humble handicraft workshop and restored the armor with the old blacksmith's craftsmanship. A pair of domineering, quaint and exquisite armor is amazing. Among them, the pair of steel armor weighs 40 kg. Rock climbing on it.
In order to better promote the exchange of arms culture, Tan Zhouzhou is now preparing for the Shaoyang Arms Lovers Association. After the establishment of the association, he is ready to form a team in the local community and participate in various influential All-America fighting games across the country. In 2019, members of the team organization participated in the "Xitang Hanfu Week" and "Chinese Ritual and Music Conference" activities. Deng Jiahao represented the team and won the runner-up in the "Xitang Hanfu Week" all-match fighting game.
Team members are repairing armor. Photo by Liu Enquan
Shang Wu is not a man's patent. There is no female figure in the "Bao Qingwei" armament enthusiast team. Female teacher Hu Yajie repairs and maintains the exhibits with the members of the studio as soon as he has time. He puts on armor and easily bends his bow to shoot far away. The studio is particularly conspicuous. "May the advocacy of martial arts and inheritance of culture become a fashion label for more and more young people in this millennium ancient city." (End)