China News Service, Quanzhou, June 24 (Sun Hong and Wu Guanbiao) A pair of clever hands, multicolored dough, rubbing, kneading, dough, picking, kneading, pressing, pressing, rubbing, dialing... After a set of movements in the clouds, the only thing that works is " "Sun Wukong" appeared in the hands of Zhang Mingtie. Interestingly, "Sun Wukong" also wore a "mask" on his face.

  Located in the home of Zhangcuo Village, Qianyang Community, Shuangyang Town, Luojiang District, Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, Zhang Mingtie’s large wooden box is very eye-catching, with red paint on the box that reads “Quanzhou Non-genetic Carrier”, “Makeup Cake Man” and “Folk Tradition” "Handicraft" and other large letters, also left the contact information.

The shape of the "makeup cake man" is beautiful. Photo by Chen Mingli

  "Our line is almost full of Quanzhou. We go wherever we are busy. We often get up at three or four in the morning. Sometimes we sell late and can't go home and fall asleep. It is very hard, but the income is not particularly low. , Can basically maintain a livelihood." Zhang Mingtie said, "staging" while creating is the norm.

  This year, many folk events have been cancelled due to the impact of the new coronary pneumonia epidemic, and Zhang Mingtie is not idle at home. "I have been pondering the children's preferences for several months and made some new works. I believe'makeup cake people' will be able to meet the children soon."

  Speaking of "makeup cake people", Zhang Mingtie is like a family treasure. "Makeup Cake Man" originates from the "Pinch Noodle Man" in the ancient Central Plains. It uses food as the main raw material for creation, and is commonly used in festivals to add joy to the festival. In Quanzhou, Taiwan and other places, "makeup cake people" are also called "rice barley carvings" and "glutinous rice bowls".

  In Zhangcuo Village where Zhang Mingtie is located, every household in the early years was a "makeup cake man", which is a veritable "cake man village". Slowly, because of his meager income, most of Zhang Cuoren gave up his ancestral skills and found another way out, leaving only Zhang Mingtie's family to stick to it.

  "In the beginning, I didn't have a choice; later, I didn't give up." Zhang Mingtie told reporters that this century-old ancestral handicraft has followed his grandfather and father from the street, and now both his father and he are " The representative inheritor of Quanzhou Makeup Cake Man's Production Skills" municipal intangible cultural heritage, his son Zhang Jianwen also shouldered the important task of inheriting the production technique of "Makeup Cake Man".

  Zhang Mingtie was gratified that Quanzhou started to implement the national folk culture protection project as early as 2004, and the “makeup cake people” have received attention and gradually recovered, and have been included in the district, municipal and provincial non-legacy protection lists. . In order to protect and inherit the production skills of "makeup cake people", Luojiang District also often organizes entertainers to participate in various cultural activities and tourism promotion activities to enhance the influence and social value of "makeup cake people".

  After scientific development and formulation, the new generation of "makeup cake man" has obviously superior to the traditional in terms of texture, appearance, shape and shelf life. The shelf life is extended from at most one month to several years. The appearance is further refined, from rough handwork The product "evolves" into handmade artwork.

  In recent years, Zhang Mingtie has entered the Minnan Normal School Attached Primary School, Shuangyang Second Center Kindergarten, Shuangyang Center Kindergarten, and Luoxi Youth Practice Center. Since 2015, he has been invited to the Luojiang District Elementary and Middle School Students Comprehensive Practice Base every year to give children a "makeup cake" making class.

Zhang Mingtie went to school to teach the "makeup cake man" making skills for the children. Photo by Zhang Yixin

  In his view, "non-legacy enters the campus" allows children to learn about "makeup cake people" in the classroom, learn the production skills, and plant the seeds of hope for the "makeup cake people" production skills; children according to their own imagination , Creating a variety of "makeup cake people" such as piglet page, sponge baby, pikachu, etc., adding vitality and hope to this traditional craft.

  As a "non-legacy" heir, Zhang Mingtie also went to Australia, the Philippines, Indonesia and other countries for cultural exchanges. "I finally did what my father said'Going abroad" and let Quanzhou's "makeup cake people" art spread farther." Zhang Mingtie said. (Finish)