The inheritor of intangible cultural heritage and his "silversmith village"

　　Xinhua News Agency, Guiyang, December 4th, Title: Inheritor of Intangible Cultural Heritage and His "Silversmith Village"

　　Xinhua News Agency reporter Luo Yu

　　Seeing that since the beginning of winter, there are still batches of tourists in the "small village" who come to visit and experience, 45-year-old Wang Guochun said with emotion: "It's 'small, but it has all the internal organs' here, which is very interesting."

　　Wang Guochun is the provincial-level representative inheritor of the Miao nationality's silver jewelry forging skills, a representative item of intangible cultural heritage in Guizhou Province.

The "small village" he calls "Silversmith Village" is a "village within a village" located in the east of Kala Village, Danzhai County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province. He invested, designed and built it.

Here, visitors can experience the design and processing process of various intangible cultural heritage items such as Miao silver forging, batik, embroidery, ancient papermaking, and birdcage making.

　　This is a corner of Kala Village (taken on November 16, drone photo).

Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Wenbin

　　"Silversmith Village" is built on the mountain, covering an area of ​​50 mu, with more than 30 houses in total.

Looking from a distance, the houses are ups and downs; walking among them, the pavilions and pavilions are unique and novel.

Wang Guochun said: "Although it is called 'Silversmith Village', it is actually an 'intangible cultural heritage village' that gathers a variety of intangible cultural heritage."

　　"My goal is to realize the 'industrial agglomeration' and 'cultural integration' of intangible cultural heritage items." He said that Danzhai County has 30 national and provincial intangible cultural heritage items. For a long time, these intangible cultural heritage items have shown scattered development The state and the inheritance of skills have yet to be further developed.

　　Wang Guochun, who learned silver jewelry forging from his parents when he was a child, started his own silver jewelry company and brand after growing up.

In the process of starting a business, he gradually realized that "intangible cultural heritage projects must form a cohesive force." After years of preparation, he finally chose to put his dream of "silversmith village" into practice in Kara Village.

　　In Kala Village, Danzhai County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, Wang Guochun, the inheritor of silver jewelry forging skills, is forging silverware (photographed on November 16).

Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Wenbin

　　"Kara Village is a 'hometown of birdcage art', has a certain reputation, and is backed by scenic spots, with a stable passenger flow, and the villagers are also very supportive." Wang Guochun said.

Since 2019, he has been investing non-stop in construction: the first phase of the construction of a research base with thousands of square meters; the second phase focuses on the main body of the "Silversmith Village", which was basically completed in May this year.

　　"The architectural style of the village is mainly based on local ethnic minority buildings, supplemented by innovative design and decoration." Wang Guochun said that he bought 40 stilted buildings abandoned by the local people in Danzhai, scattered them back, and rebuilt them together. Renewed life.

　　To build a good nest, you have to attract phoenixes.

"I have cooperated with many higher vocational colleges in Qiandongnan Prefecture to give priority to the research development and skill inheritance of the 'Silversmith Village'." Wang Guochun said, on this basis, he invited more than a dozen local intangible cultural heritage inheritors to settle in " Silversmith Village", and actively promote and attract customers.

　　29-year-old Zhang Yiping is an intangible heritage inheritor of batik technique, and has led dozens of local women to engage in batik making.

"We mainly produce and sell batik products. In the six months since I settled in the 'Silversmith Village', I have taught batik techniques to more students and tourists, so that more people can understand this intangible cultural heritage, and have also expanded income-generating channels," she said.

　　In Kala Village, Danzhai County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, Wang Qiu (right), an intangible inheritance inheritor of birdcage making skills, is weaving birdcages (photographed on November 16).

Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Wenbin

　　"Intangible cultural heritage projects must follow the path of cultural and tourism integration and innovative development in order to achieve greater success." Wang Qiu, 34, is an intangible cultural heritage inheritor of birdcage making skills in Kala Village.

In the past, making birdcages was the main source of income for the whole family. After entering the "Silversmith Village" this year, she "bound" birdcage making skills with the depth of her research and embarked on a path of integrated development of culture and tourism.

　　According to reports, in the past two years, despite the impact of the epidemic and the completion of the project in phases, the "Silversmith Village" still attracted more than 400,000 students and tourists to visit and experience, and drove hundreds of people to find employment.

　　In Kala Village, Danzhai County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, Zhang Yiping (front), an intangible inheritance inheritor of batik techniques, is painting wax paintings (photographed on November 16).

Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Wenbin

　　"I am full of confidence in the future." Wang Guochun said that he plans to build more than 20 intangible cultural heritage workshops to further improve the functions and industrial layout of the "Silversmith Village" and attract more and more tourists.