(Chinese New Year walks to the grassroots) The century-old Zibo lanterns make "tonight" light up the year of peace in the world
Chinanews.com, Zibo, February 5th: The century-old Zibo lanterns make "tonight" light up the year of peace in the world
Reporter Zhao Xiao
On the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar, in Zibo, Shandong Province, the hometown of traditional Chinese lanterns, groups of lanterns are dressed up on the banks of Yudai Lake, waiting for nightfall to bloom brightly, celebrating the Lantern Festival and lighting up a safe year in the world.
On February 5th, although it was the weekend, Zhang Xiangren, the inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage Zibo Lantern Festival project, was still busy at the Lantern Festival, instructing workers to check the lighting conditions of the lantern group.
Since April last year, Zhang Xiangren has successively designed and produced nearly 50 large-scale light sets for the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit, which will be displayed neatly on the reunion night.
Zhang Xiangren (left) instructs workers to make large lanterns.
Photo provided by the interviewee
"A total of 10 rabbits are designed for this group of lanterns, and the 'Fu' radish in the middle is full of joy, which means that the New Year is full of blessings." Zhang Xiangren pointed to the "rabbit tug-of-war" lantern and said. The bunny moves, making it more fun and interactive.
Zibo lanterns have a long history and are famous for their "sound, light, movement, strangeness, beauty and ingenuity". It is widely said among the people that "there are Zigong dinosaur lanterns in the south, Harbin ice and snow lanterns in the north, and Zibo noisy lanterns in the east".
In 2014, Zibo Lantern Festival was selected into the fourth batch of representative projects of China's national intangible cultural heritage.
Zhang Xiangren told reporters that the earliest Zibo lanterns can be traced back to more than 2,000 years ago, when Jiang Taigong sealed Qi.
At that time, many small countries invaded Qi State. In order to let the people live a stable life, the king of Qi State Jiang Taigong hung red lights on the city wall.
Hanging a red light means peace in the city, and once it lands, it means that an enemy country is coming.
"People regard red lights as 'safety lights', and it has gradually become a custom to hang red lights in every household to pray for safety."
Zibo lanterns have historical records in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
"At that time, Zibo, as an industrial city and one of the sources of the Silk Road, was rich in colored glaze and colored silk, etc., which provided abundant raw materials for the production of lanterns." Zhang Xiangren said that every time there was a lantern festival, the alleys were empty, folk juggling, dragon and lion dances, etc. appeared on the stage. , how can a word "noisy" describe it.
In the 1980s, Zibo lanterns ushered in a prosperous period of development. Zhang Xiangren also entered the industry around this time. It has been nearly 50 years since then, and he has designed and manufactured more than 2,000 large-scale lanterns.
Zhang Xiangren designed the "Rabbit Tug of War" lantern this year, using mechanical devices to make rabbits move.
Photo provided by the interviewee
"The biggest feature of Zibo Lantern lies in its dynamism and storytelling. Most of the themes are taken from folklore and fairy tales." Zhang Xiangren once created themed lanterns such as "Taoyuan Three Knots", "Confucius and His 72 Disciples".
This year, inspired by Li Qingzhao's "Like a Dream", he designed a large-scale light group with wine pots, lotus flowers, water waves and other elements, vividly showing "struggle for crossing, fight for crossing, and startle a pool of gulls and herons." " mood.
The Zibo Lanterns have also been colorful all over the world, vividly telling Chinese stories to the outside world.
In 1994, Zibo lanterns were exhibited in Moscow, Russia, which opened the eyes of the local people; in 2001, Zibo lanterns went to Germany to participate in the Asia-Pacific Week in Berlin. The "Nine Dragon Wall", "Dragon Boat Celebration" and "Peking Opera Face Makeup" designed and produced by Zhang Xiangren and other six A group of large lanterns appeared on the streets of Berlin.
"What impressed me the most was that the dynamic lantern I designed 'Peacock Spreading the Screen' was reported by local paper media in Berlin. Many foreigners praised the spirit of Chinese craftsmen while admiring the lantern." Recalling his foreign visit experience, Zhang Xiangren still showed a sense of pride in his words .
Today, on the basis of retaining the characteristics and craftsmanship of traditional lanterns, Zibo lanterns also incorporate high-tech technologies such as modern light and shadow technology, lasers, and naked-eye 3D, which are both ornamental and interactive.
In Zhang Xiangren's view, no matter how innovative the craftsmanship and form of the lantern are, a good story is always the spiritual core of creation and cannot be lost.
This year's Lantern Festival, the Zibo Lantern Festival will be lively again. Seeing the return of the New Year in memory, Zhang Xiangren is full of expectations for the new year, hoping to use groups of lanterns to send blessings of "safety every year" to thousands of households.
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