[Concurrent] Wei Baoshan, the inheritance promoter of Xinjiang mulberry paper
I'm Wei Baoshan, the inheritance promoter of Xinjiang Mulberry Paper.
In 2011, Xinjiang held an art exhibition called "Chinese Painting·Mulberry Paper" in Beijing. The natural light yellow of mulberry paper, coupled with the texture of its own fibers, is unique to the geography and humanistic customs of Xinjiang. Fitting together, at that time I wanted to further study, understand, inherit, and make good use of mulberry paper. Since then, I have embarked on the road of exploring mulberry paper culture.
Mulberry paper was called "Han leather paper" in ancient times. It originated from the Central Plains and was specially produced in the Western Regions. It has carried the civilization of the Silk Road for thousands of years. It can be called the "living fossil" of our Chinese papermaking.
There are more than 40 large and small processes in making mulberry paper, and the total production process takes more than half a month.
In 2013, I visited Hetian Moyu County, the hometown of mulberry paper, for the first time to investigate and study.
Mulberry paper is the testimony and carrier of the inheritance of our Chinese culture in the north and south of Tianshan Mountains. I feel more and more the importance and urgency of the inheritance, protection, promotion and utilization of mulberry paper.
Our Xinjiang Chinese Painting Academy successively invited nearly a thousand well-known calligraphers and painters across the country to enter Xinjiang to create Chinese paintings with mulberry paper, and gradually integrate mulberry paper with our Chinese paintings and Xinjiang cultural tourism. Mulberry paper is used in the fine arts and cultural circles inside and outside Xinjiang. Got a good spread and communication.
Over the years, we have creatively launched "Chinese Paintings on Mulberry Paper" and "Peasant Paintings on Mulberry Paper" and other art exhibition projects. We have also developed more than 20 kinds of mulberry paper-derived cultural and creative products, such as mulberry paper fans, Mulberry paper folding fans, mulberry paper table lamps, clocks, mulberry paper making experience packages, mulberry paper postal postcards, including notebooks, etc., enable mulberry paper to achieve creative transformation and innovative development, and also give mulberry paper more cultural connotations and times value.
Through our efforts, mulberry paper has spread to all parts of the country, and many people have come to the hometown of mulberry paper.
In recent years, we have also brought Chinese paintings on mulberry paper and cultural and creative products derived from mulberry paper to cultural fairs, schools, and communities to help everyone understand and recognize the intangible cultural heritage around us. Let us work together to inherit and protect our precious cultural heritage in Xinjiang.
At the moment, mulberry paper must go to the market to achieve both supply and demand. Only this ancient technique can bloom new charm and be inherited and protected in the true sense.
I hope that more people can join this team, and we will explore together and work together to create a "Xinjiang gift" that will last for a thousand years.
Reporter Zhao Yamin reports from Urumqi, Xinjiang
Editor in charge: [Song Fangcan]