"Cornus are as green as the mountains, they are rising thousands of miles apart, the clouds are swaying in the wind, they are rolling with golden light, the red sun rises in the east, the sky and the earth are eternal..." In the gorgeous light and shadow, in the rotating patterns, surrounded by auspicious clouds, flowers and birds, flowers and plants At the bottom, the word "Nian Brocade" appears, the curly grass cloud pattern which means good health, and the letter embroidery pattern which means the cup pattern that means the letter is coming slowly spread out in front of the audience. Then, the actors wearing traditional costumes of the Han Dynasty Liu Tao "traveled" through time and space, stunning the attention of Chinese people around the world...
At the CCTV Spring Festival Gala held on New Year's Eve on February 9, the program "Nian Jin" was unveiled. Traditional Chinese auspicious patterns from the Han, Tang, Song and Ming eras were hand-painted by the 93-year-old "Dunhuang Girl" Chang Shana. It appears in the form of a New Year picture to convey blessings. Liu Tao, Liu Shishi, Li Qin, and Guan Xiaotong appeared on stage wearing costumes from different eras. They instantly became a trending topic on social platforms and became a hot topic on the Internet.
Traditional Chinese patterns have a long history, are diverse, and have auspicious meanings. In the vast "treasure house" of Chinese cultural patterns, how are these patterns from different dynasties woven and restored, and finally presented on the Spring Festival Gala stage? Shortly after the Spring Festival Gala, reporters from West China Metropolis Daily and Cover News had an exclusive conversation with Chen Shiyu, one of the main creators of "Nian Jin" and historical costume director, to reveal how these patterns that carry the best wishes of the Chinese people came across time and space.
"Traditional Chinese patterns are not only decorative, but also carry many beautiful blessings. I think this is a 'code' unique to the Chinese. If you don't understand it, the meaning will be gradually forgotten. This is also why we When planning this show, I want to pass it on to everyone." Chen Shiyu said.
How to restore patterns from deep history? Completed using the weaving techniques of the time
The curling grass cloud pattern, the cup pattern ground letter embroidery pattern, the Changle Mingguang cloud mountain auspicious animal pattern, the three-legged golden crow pattern in the Han Dynasty; the Tang Dynasty's pattern of pairs of birds in a group nest, the pattern of standing phoenixes with precious flowers, the pattern of pairs of peacocks holding ribbons, and four patterns. Lion treasure patterns, etc.; the lotus pattern, orchid pattern, peony and laurel pattern of the Song Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty's all over the world pattern, the gourd lantern scene lady pattern, the lucky gourd pattern... when these originally only existed in ancient books, cultural relics, and ancient paintings The traditional patterns in the film were restored on the traditional costumes worn by the actors. A picture of the changes in traditional Chinese patterns spanning thousands of years was slowly unfolded on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala. On the stage, the program interprets the brilliance of traditional Chinese culture, but off the camera, behind this 5-minute program is half a year of planning and creation.
"There are more than hundreds of traditional patterns in the past dynasties, it can be said that there are thousands." Chen Shiyu said that it is necessary to sort out the pattern characteristics of different dynasties from such a large number of traditional patterns, and then sort out the representative patterns of each period. It is also necessary to select patterns that fit the festive atmosphere, and to weave and restore the patterns. Behind the program is a huge and tedious project. "From sorting to selection to drawing patterns, each step requires detailed research. As well as the final weaving restoration, we hope to be able to use the craftsmanship of the time, whether it is brocade or damask, embroidery or printing and dyeing. Herein It also involves a lot of intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship, for example, the patterns of the Han and Tang dynasties used brocade techniques, and the patterns of the Tang and Song dynasties used Hualuo techniques."
When a dazzling array of patterns appear one after another, the audience in front of the screen may feel that "the flowers are gradually becoming more enchanting". But if you carefully recall the names of patterns in different dynasties and the things they represent, it is not difficult to discover the mystery. For example, the patterns in the Tang Dynasty were mostly animals, while the patterns in the Song Dynasty were mostly plants and flowers.
Chen Shiyu explained that when choosing the patterns to appear in the show, many aspects were considered. These patterns must not only be representative patterns at the time and reflect the style of the times, but also have beautiful meanings that are suitable for expression on the Spring Festival Gala stage; In addition, I also hope that the theme will be clear enough to summarize the characteristics of different dynasties, and use this to create theme songs. "For the patterns of the Han Dynasty, we tend to choose more natural patterns, such as fringe cloud patterns and curly grass cloud patterns. This also reflects the romantic idea of the Chinese ancestors to draw materials from nature. Because of the smart clouds and undulating mountains, It forms very smooth and free lines, which is in line with the temperament of the Han Dynasty. The patterns of the Tang Dynasty were mainly group-shaped animals. In the Song Dynasty, there were more natural flowers and plants, so all of them used flower patterns. In the Ming Dynasty, , are mostly patterns based on auspicious allusions, including the use of various patterns to form homophonic meanings of auspiciousness, which is also a more prominent feature of the patterns of the Ming Dynasty."
Behind the restoration of each pattern is a painstaking process. Behind the patterns that the camera scanned, many were fabrics and embroideries restored based on unearthed cultural relics. "For example, in the close-up, there is a piece of letter-period embroidery from the Western Han Dynasty tomb in Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan. This is a very famous Han Dynasty pattern, and it took a lot of effort to restore it at that time." Chen Shiyu said.
In addition, Chen Shiyu was deeply impressed by the lucky gourd pattern on the costumes of actor Guan Xiaotong. The pattern on the top she wore came from the Ming Dynasty lucky gourd pattern satin collected by the Beijing Art Museum, which also combined persimmon persimmon Ruyi, Jixiang Ruyi, Fulu, etc. The pattern is the most typical "gourd scene" pattern during the New Year period. "When people in the Ming Dynasty celebrated the New Year, especially the palace, they would use gourd patterns. What's special about this pattern is that it incorporates a lot of auspicious blessings."
When the "Ancient Fashion Show" was staged on the Spring Festival Gala, it told what Chinese costumes are
The Changle Mingguang Yunshan Auspicious Beast Brocade from Loulan was worn and performed by actor Liu Tao, which is bright and majestic; the silk costumes of the Tang Dynasty are colorful, and the style of the late Tang Dynasty worn by Liu Shishi is based on the murals of the donors in Cave 9 of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang; the Song Dynasty's The aesthetic is graceful and elegant, and the tones of Li Qin's clothes are fresh and elegant; the patterns of the Ming Dynasty pay special attention to the auspicious blessings hidden in them. The Ming-made coat and skirt worn by Guan Xiaotong are woven with typical beautiful patterns of the Ming Dynasty...
"These four dynasties not only lasted for a long time, but were also culturally prosperous dynasties in history. But precisely because each dynasty spans a long time, there are also many considerations in the actors' clothing choices." Chen Shiyu said, For example, Liu Tao, who was the first to appear, was wearing an Eastern Han Dynasty style. This was considering that the Western Han Dynasty style of skirt appeared in last year's Spring Festival Gala. "This year I hope to have a new visual point, so I chose the style of the Eastern Han Dynasty." When choosing clothing from the Tang Dynasty, Chen Shiyu originally wanted to choose the style of Wuzhou, but thought that the public was not so familiar with it, so he finally adopted the style of the late Tang Dynasty. . "The styles of the late Tang Dynasty are relatively gorgeous, and they are in line with everyone's understanding of the Tang Dynasty."
During the interview, Chen Shiyu also specifically talked about the patterns on Li Qin's clothing. The Southern Song Dynasty "Peony and Laurel Pattern" was restored and unearthed from the Southern Song Dynasty Tomb in Zhoutangqiao, Jiangsu Province and will be exhibited for the first time in 2022. "When I saw this cultural relic, I thought it was very exciting. The wonderful thing is that its pattern is flowers within flowers, flowers within flowers, and there is another flower in each petal. On the petals of the peony, There are various elements in it, including its leaves and branches." Because this pattern was unearthed from a tomb of the Southern Song Dynasty, Li Qin also chose the Southern Song Dynasty style for his clothing.
Speaking of the Ming Dynasty, many people’s first impression is naturally coats and skirts. "Because the overall idea this time was not to choose large formal dresses or costumes, but to choose representative costumes of each period, so the Ming Dynasty used a commonly used representative style, the coat skirt with a double lapel and a vertical collar." Chen Shiyu said in the program During rehearsals, the main creators will also conduct "cultural export" to the participating artists, explaining to them some of the characteristics of the styling, including the particulars involved, in the dressing room.
After the four actors appeared one after another, 16 Hanfu performers took the stage. They appeared on stage wearing costumes from the Han, Tang, Song and Ming dynasties, making up for the fact that the actors failed to present the beauty of costumes from different periods of the same dynasty. . Their stereotyped movements and postures reflect the charm and etiquette of different eras.
In fact, now that "Hanfu craze" has become the norm, people wear horse-faced skirts to go in and out of high-rise buildings, and wear hairpins and colorful hairpins to take photos and check in at scenic spots. The beauty of Hanfu has been integrated into the streets and alleys, and is loved and sought after by young Chinese people. After the "Nian Jin" program was broadcast, Chen Shiyu's social account also flooded with many Hanfu enthusiasts, and their messages all told about the difficulty of the revival of Hanfu.
"One comment that impressed me deeply is that this program actually condenses the results of the past 20 years in which everyone has gradually re-understood the revival and reappearance of Chinese traditional culture." Chen Shiyu said that if we go back to 20 years ago, the public may not have a clear understanding of what China is. I only have a very vague understanding of clothing and what Hanfu is, and I even think it is a strange costume. "But through various practices, everyone has sorted out representative Hanfu styles, such as the horse-faced skirt, which is a highly accepted traditional style, and gradually formed the public's understanding of Hanfu. Today, Hanfu can go anywhere Go on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala to introduce and disseminate it more widely. Many 'comrades' said that they cried when they saw "Nian Jin". This is actually a process of cultural reproduction."
At the end of the interview, Chen Shiyu turned the topic to patterns. He said that traditional Chinese patterns are derived from nature and transform natural objects into beautiful meanings. This kind of thinking and creativity is also a unique characteristic of Chinese civilization. "Through the program, we not only want to show the beauty of patterns, but also want the audience to experience the beauty of traditional weaving and embroidery and the beauty of Chinese costumes from past dynasties." West China Metropolis Daily - cover news reporter Li Yuxin and Li Qin are wearing Song Dynasty costumes.
(West China Metropolis Daily)