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China News Service, Hulunbuir, September 14th: The head chef of the "post-80s" chef turned into a civilian "artist" by making tableware with beef and sheep bones
Author Zhang Weisheng
"I think the first prize is a recognition of my hard work over the years." Liu Jincai said in an interview with reporters on the 14th.
Not long ago, Liu Jincai won the 5th "China Creation Wing" Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition Inner Mongolia Division Selection and the 6th "Entrepreneurship Horqin Cup" Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition Hulunbuir City Preliminary Theme Competition Manufacturing First Prize.
The picture shows Liu Jincai winning the award.
Photo courtesy of Liu Jincai
Walking into Liu Jincai's Mengyi "creation house" is more like being in an art gallery, where lifelike abrasive tools, carefully polished finished products, unique and creative ornaments, and exquisite "arts" are displayed.
The so-called "art" is the Mongolian tableware made by Liu Jincai with the bones of cattle and sheep.
"Currently, this is the only one in the country."
Liu Jincai, who was born on the Hulunbuir grassland, is enthusiastic and cheerful.
He is a creative "post-80s" and someone who has seen "the world".
Engaged in the catering industry for more than ten years, Liu Jincai has successively engaged in management work in many star-rated hotels in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Qingdao, etc., and has rich industry experience.
In 2016, Liu Jincai followed in his wife's footsteps and returned to his hometown to work in a local high-end hotel.
In his work, Liu Jincai often designs and creates tableware and utensils with the bones of cows and sheep.
The picture shows the Mongolian tableware made by Liu Jincai with cattle and sheep bones.
Photo courtesy of Liu Jincai
After the recovered cattle and sheep bones are processed through a series of processes such as steaming, boiling, burning, bleaching, and disinfection, they are designed and made into Mongolian tableware.
Liu Jincai, who loves to ponder, often thinks that processing beef and mutton ingredients will leave a lot of bones, and it would be a pity to throw these bones away.
Can they be designed and made into tableware and utensils with folklore characteristics?
By chance, Liu Jincai was attracted by traditional craftsmen who turned "fingertip skills" into "fingertip economy".
In 2018, Liu Jincai resigned from the position of head chef and officially embarked on the road of entrepreneurship.
He said that he was favored by the times.
"Every step I take is lucky. I have the help of so many people around me, and I enjoy many preferential policies from countries and places, which makes me more confident in starting a business."
With the support of various preferential policies, Liu Jincai settled in Ewenki Pioneer Park for free.
The picture shows Liu Jincai making Mongolian tableware.
Photo courtesy of Liu Jincai
"As a start-up, I am very confused about starting a business. Fortunately, the Pioneer Park organized us to participate in entrepreneurial training for free, and carried out various forms of exchange and learning, which allowed us to discover business opportunities." Liu Jincai said gratefully.
Liu Jincai told reporters that the market for bone tableware was blank at that time, so he decided to start with the aspects he was most familiar with.
The master leads the door, and the practice is personal.
To truly create and capture the charm of a work, every detail has to be carefully pondered by oneself.
In order to make the works more charming, Liu Jincai has done a lot of desk work. He often collects a lot of materials and repeatedly searches for allusions to obtain creative inspiration.
"Tenglong Plate" is Liu Jincai's favorite piece of work. "The head of the dragon is made of non-heritage face sculpture, the body and tail are made of 1 and a half ox tail bones, and the base is made of 5 ox leg bones."
The picture shows Liu Jincai and his favorite work "Tenglong Pan".
Photo courtesy of Liu Jincai
Today, Liu Jincai brings this work with him every time he participates in important exhibitions. "It took 2 days and is 56 cm high and 40 cm wide. This represents the highest level of tableware production I currently have."
In May of this year, under the coordination of the Ewenki Banner Employment Center, Liu Jincai applied for a 2-year low-interest entrepreneurial loan of 200,000 yuan, and under the opportunity of the integrated development of the central city of Hulunbuir, he expanded his business and opened an additional store.
He expanded the original team of 3 people to 7 people. At the same time, he directly drove 5 laid-off and unemployed people, and indirectly drove the number of employed people to more than 20 people.
Now, Liu Jincai is in the process of applying for intangible cultural heritage projects and inheritors.
“A mouth-watering food paired with a matching tableware is what food looks like in my heart.”
"The craftsman's spirit of meticulous crafting and excellence is an important factor in promoting the dissemination and inheritance of traditional culture. I hope I can continue to persevere." Liu Jincai believes that it is his responsibility to protect and inherit this national skill.
(Finish)