China News Service, Lhasa, March 25th: Title: Tibetan stone carving art protection researcher Gewang: "Pry open" the memories sealed in the stone.
Author Li Lin
On the afternoon of the 24th, "bang bang bang" sounds were heard from time to time from the Jiaoma Gallery, a new public cultural space of the Lhasa Municipal Culture Bureau. Gewang, the director of the Shigatse Stone Carving Art Museum in Tibet, was demonstrating the technique of transmission and engraving at a sharing session titled "Talking Stones - Tibetan Stone Carving Art".
On March 24, Gewang was introducing stone rubbings. Photo by Li Lin
Having been engaged in research on the protection of stone carving art for ten years, Gewang said that he was very happy to see that the protection of stone carving cultural relics and the research on stone carving art have continued to increase. I am even more happy that more people are participating and jointly contributing to the protection and inheritance of Tibetan stone carving cultural heritage.
"I became a monk halfway and studied stone carvings purely out of love." In order to understand the origin of Tibetan stone carving culture, protect stone carving cultural relics and fill the research gaps in related fields, Gewang began to conduct stone carving research in 2014. He visited 74 counties and districts in the region, visited stone carving cultural relics sites, carried out investigation of stone carving cultural relics sites, and conducted identification and data collection of stone carvings and stone tablets of important value.
In June 2019, the Shigatse Stone Carving Art Museum, Tibet’s first professional museum focusing on stone carving art, officially opened. Gewang, together with more than a thousand stone carving exhibits in the museum's collection, "pried open" memories sealed in stone for the world.
"The on-site protection of stone carving cultural relics is what I am most proud of." Gewang believes that the protection, utilization, inheritance and research of Tibetan stone carving cultural heritage are the current key tasks. Tibetan stone carving art is not as highly recognized as other Tibetan arts. Many stone carving cultural relics are scattered in villages and mountains. "Every time we visit a temple or a village, we will try our best to explain the cultural relic value of stone carvings in plain language. Let the local people understand the production process, production background, regional characteristics, etc. of the stone carvings through the words or patterns on the stone carvings. Content." Gewang felt that only by making them realize the value of cultural relics in stone carvings can they be better protected.
Gewang said that the Stone Carving Art Museum is like a window that allows the public to understand the excellent traditional Tibetan culture behind the stone carvings through these exquisite stone carvings. “We are also using touring exhibitions and other methods to let more people understand the art of Tibetan stone carvings and promote exchanges and integration among various ethnic groups.”
As more and more people learn about Tibetan stone carving art, more and more people are involved in its protection. According to Gewang, there are joint workstations for stone carving cultural inheritance research in Xigaze Kangma County, Nanmulin County and other places. "There are also many young people who are very interested, which is a very good phenomenon."
The sharing session, which lasted about two hours, ended quickly. Some of the audience went to experience rice paper rubbings, while others lined up to ask Gewang for advice. After answering patiently and carefully, Gewang did not forget to invite again: "We have a lot of first-hand information. You are welcome to study with us and jointly present the beauty of Tibetan stone carving art to everyone." (End)