China News Service, Quanzhou, March 18 (Wu Guanbiao) Wandering in the streets and alleys of the ancient city of Quanzhou, Fujian, there are always unexpected surprises.

When you walk into the West Street Market in Quanzhou, you can see a "red-feathered reef dragon" made of oyster shells and red bricks sitting on an old banyan tree. It looks like a dragon wearing scales. The general put away his spirit and returned to the city, living in harmony with the light and dust, exuding a warm and peaceful atmosphere.

　　"In my opinion, this is how it should be, coming from all things and going to all things." Bao Xiaoge, the creator of the "Red Feather Reef Dragon" art installation, said in a recent interview with a reporter from China News Service that he hopes that "Red Feather Reef Dragon" "Jiaolong" blends and coexists with the market, bringing people the enjoyment of beauty when they inadvertently raise their eyes.

The "red-feathered reef dragon" lingers on the old banyan tree on West Street in Quanzhou, Fujian.

Photo by Wu Guanbiao

　　Bao Xiaoge is an environmentally friendly installation artist who graduated from the China Academy of Art. He has been engaged in commercial design and artistic creation in Shanghai and Hangzhou for more than ten years.

After returning to her hometown of Quanzhou in 2022, she began to study "waste transformation" with great concentration, founded a "waste transformation factory", and created "the works she really wants" as she pleased.

　　At the end of 2022, Bao Xiaoge created the art installation "Big Tail Lantern" using 240 used Quanzhou lanterns, discarded fishing nets, discarded equipment accessories, etc.

This dragon is shaped like a lamp, with a fishing net covering its tail and a pearl in its mouth. It attracted a large number of tourists to check in and take photos during the 2023 Spring Festival.

　　As Bao Xiaoge's first dragon-shaped work, "Big Tail Lantern Dragon" started from Quanzhou and traveled to Songpan Ancient Town at the foot of the Snow Mountains in Sichuan. It also visited the China Millennium Monument in Beijing. On the eve of this year's Spring Festival, it lingered in Yantai Mountain in Fuzhou to overlook the whole world. city.

　　"The 'Big Tail Lantern Dragon' is a fish that transforms into a dragon, like a civil servant who passed the scientific examination; while the 'Red Feather Reef Dragon' is a snake that transforms into a dragon, like a battle-hardened general." Bao Xiaoge has placed his best wishes on both dragons. The meaning of "Big Tail Lantern Dragon" is to forge ahead and leap over the dragon gate, while "Red Feather Reef Dragon" hopes to protect people's living and working in peace and contentment just like the red brick houses and "oyster shell houses" in southern Fujian.

　　In Bao Xiaoge's eyes, integrating Quanzhou traditional culture and marine culture into his works is a kind of inheritance and mission.

From the lanterns and fishing nets of the "Big Tail Lantern Dragon" to the oyster shells and red bricks of the "Red Feather Reef Dragon", they are all objects that can be understood by people in southern Fujian. The art installations composed of them can often bring more people to the world. surprise.

　　The creation of "Red Feather Reef Dragon" took more than 20 days.

The dragon horns and eyes are assembled from a large number of starfish and shells, combined with discarded materials such as gears, CDs, cable spools, etc.; the dragon’s whiskers, hair and fins are derived from the waste bricks and tiles of the official red brick houses in southern Fujian; the oysters that make up the dragon’s body are Shells and red bricks are the most common building materials in southern Fujian folk houses. Bao Xiaoge collected them from the vegetable market and the ruins of old houses.

Following the wall-building tradition of the "Oyster Shell House" in coastal villages in southern Fujian, she punched holes, tied and connected oyster shells one by one, and woven them into dragon scales piece by piece.

　　"Oyster shell house" (also known as "oyster shell house"), built with oyster shells (in Minnan, "cuo" means house, and "oyster" means oyster), is a traditional characteristic building in Quanzhou area of ​​southern Fujian.

Bao Xiaoge said that this building records the glorious history of Quanzhou and the splendid culture of the "Maritime Silk Road".

On January 31, Bao Xiaoge created "Red Feather Reef Dragon" on the ancient banyan tree on West Street in Quanzhou, Fujian.

Photo by Xu Jiashen

　　When creating "Red Feather Reef Dragon", Bao Xiaoge's hands were often scratched by sharp oyster shells, and her first action before starting work every day was to wrap the wounds on her hands with tape.

Friends joked that she was pouring her blood and sweat into the work.

　　"When I create, I am fully immersed in it. I often go from noon to dusk in the blink of an eye, unaware of hunger or bleeding from wounds." Bao Xiaoge said with emotion. Perhaps she is also being healed by her works, especially those in the trees. At that time, as the dragon and the banyan merged closely, she seemed to blend into them.

"At that moment, we were indistinguishable from each other. We were as calm as water despite the hustle and bustle around us."

After nightfall, the "Red Feather Reef Dragon" silently guards people.

Photo by Li Xian

　　During the creation, Bao Xiaoge also left many Easter eggs for the "Red Feather Reef Dragon".

The roots of the banyan tree were in the shape of dragon claws, so she was not in a hurry to let the "Red Feather Reef Dragon" grow claws.

"It takes thousands of years for a dragon to transform into a dragon. My 'Red Feather Reef Dragon' is also growing. In the future, I will let it grow five claws and become a real dragon."

　　Not only "Big Tail Lantern Dragon" and "Red Feather Reef Dragon", but also "Regeneration Tree" (environmental protection installation of the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games), "Ships Are Not Garbage" (collected by Quanzhou Maritime Transportation History Museum), "Ahai's Woman" "... Each work expresses and presents Bao Xiaoge's creative concept of "waste utilization, environmental protection and regeneration" in the collision of traditional culture and contemporary art. The southern Fujian culture and marine culture in her hometown of Quanzhou constitute her creations. language.

　　"My creations have received support from many people. Now I am more and more confident to continue doing environmentally friendly installation art. Through the 'waste' technique and artistic creation, I can spread the concept of environmental protection and let more people see Quanzhou. The beauty of traditional culture and marine culture." Bao Xiaoge said.

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