Zhejiang Dongyang explores a new development path of "intangible cultural heritage + industry"——
Carving time with wood as the base (protecting cultural heritage and highlighting the new meaning of the times)
core reading
Dongyang woodcarving is named after being produced in Dongyang, Zhejiang Province and has been in existence for thousands of years. In the past, Dongyang woodcarving was famous for its unique skills and exquisite works; now, local craftsmen are based on woodcarving culture, adhere to integrity and innovation, and have embarked on a new development path of "intangible cultural heritage + industry". The award-winning bouquets featured at the Hangzhou Asian Games, the wood carving themed museum... Starting from Dongyang, wood carving skills move to a broader stage.
In Dongyang, Zhejiang, Lu Zhai, a complex of ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, offers tranquility amid the bustle. Wandering around, you will find something special: various art categories such as wood carving, stone carving, brick carving, pile sculpture, and painting are gathered together.
Among them, Dongyang wood carvings are the most eye-catching. Whether it is architectural components such as brackets and beams, or indoor furnishings such as furniture, exquisite wood carvings can be seen everywhere, silently "telling" historical stories, local customs and customs.
As a representative project of national intangible cultural heritage, Dongyang woodcarving is named after being produced in Dongyang, Zhejiang, and has a history of thousands of years of development. In 1983, Dongyang was named the "Hometown of Chinese Wood Sculpture". Based on wood carving culture, local craftsmen inherit craftsmanship, pioneer and innovate, and explore a development path of "intangible cultural heritage + industry", giving Dongyang wood carving new vitality.
inherited
Thousands of years of skill passed down from generation to generation
Dongyang woodcarving attracts the attention of the world with its unique skills and exquisite works. In 2006, Dongyang woodcarvings were included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. Today, Dongyang has 11 Chinese arts and crafts masters and 60 Zhejiang arts and crafts masters, and there are many talents.
Why did wood carving “take root and sprout” in Dongyang?
This is closely related to local natural conditions. "Seven mountains, two rivers and one farmland", Dongyang has a lot of people but little land. The local people attach great importance to handicrafts, and gradually formed a team of bamboo weaving, woodworking, clay tile making and other industries, making this place a fertile ground for the growth of wood carving skills.
"In the past, learning crafts was one of the ways for people in Dongyang to make a living. I was admitted to the Dongyang Woodcarving Technical School at the age of 13, and worked in the Dongyang Woodcarving Factory at the age of 15." Lu Guang, who is nearly eighty years old, is the national intangible inheritance of Dongyang woodcarving. Today, he is still active on the front line of creation, actively participating in everything from work creation to design creation, and even often goes to the workshop.
"Wood carving skills are extremely comprehensive and require knowledge in architecture, art, music and other aspects. Therefore, I always tell my apprentices not only to practice basic skills well, but also to learn from others' strengths." Lu Guangzheng said that if the wood carving industry wants to continue, it must rely on Old craftsmen rely more on young people.
At the Hangzhou Asian Games, the "Fruits and Fruits" awards bouquet (flower part) made by Dongyang Wood Carving was eye-catching. This design was created by Huang Xiaoming, a master of Chinese arts and crafts.
After two years of planning, proposal, design, modification and production, Huang Xiaoming overcame many difficulties. "I hope the athletes will bring back the memory of Hangzhou and Chinese culture, so that more people can understand Dongyang wood carving." Huang Xiaoming said.
Along the Grand Canal in Hangzhou, the once dilapidated storage space under the Dengyun Bridge has been transformed into the "Grand Canal Red Sandalwood Museum", which is open to the public free of charge. This has also become an art space for tourists to experience and understand Dongyang woodcarving and mahogany culture up close. "I created this museum just to bring the woodcarving culture to a broader stage." Li Xiaodong, founder of the museum, said that more than 100,000 people have visited the museum since its opening.
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Industrial integration, exploration and innovation
In Dongyang, when talking about wood carving, mahogany is indispensable. The formation of the characteristic industry of "wood carving + mahogany" is not so much the market demand for mahogany furniture, but rather that Dongyang wood carving has found a new carrier.
In the 1980s, mahogany furniture became popular. "At that time, carving workers were paid 6 yuan a day in Dongyang, but they could earn 80 or 90 yuan a day in Guangdong." Zhang Xiangrong, general manager of Dongyang Mingtang Redwood Furniture Co., Ltd. recalled. As Dongyang wood carving gradually became famous and the consumption level in the Yangtze River Delta region continued to improve, a group of Dongyang craftsmen who went south keenly sensed business opportunities. In 1998, Zhang Xiangrong, who had worked as a carving worker in Guangdong for 10 years, returned to his hometown and founded a mahogany furniture factory. At that time, there were many craftsmen like him who returned to Dongyang to set up factories.
When making furniture, we should not only pay attention to "face", but also pay attention to "lizi". Zhang Xiangrong believes that Dongyang wood carving has always paid attention to "converting circles into squares and making circles out of squares." When carving curves, skilled craftsmen will reasonably handle the arcs to make them more in line with traditional Chinese aesthetics.
"In the past, we relied on experience and feeling to make furniture, but now we have to rely on data." Zhang Xiangrong said, "In order to summarize the rules, we did a lot of homework. My carpentry masters and I went to the Forbidden City no less than 10 times."
In Zhang Xiangrong’s view, this is the cultural persistence of Dongyang woodcarving craftsmen. “We can’t just do carvings, but also pass on the culture behind them.”
Cross-border and innovation are also high-frequency words in the mahogany furniture industry.
"In the past, consumers had low personalization requirements and had similar aesthetics, and the products on the market were highly homogeneous." Wang Haiyang, general manager of Dongyang Shuangyang Redwood Furniture Co., Ltd. said, "We must pay attention to the needs of consumer groups based on changes in the market consumption structure. Personalized needs.”
To this end, the company opened up a one-to-one customization business and began to try the complete customization of mahogany and logs. "Full-fitting customization pays attention to cultural attributes, and it is also necessary to deeply explore the cultural connotation of Dongyang wood carving. No matter how the industry develops, Dongyang wood carving is always the foundation and foundation." Wang Haiyang said.
According to reports, at its peak, there were more than 3,000 redwood companies in Dongyang city. After optimization and integration, the related industries of Dongyang wood carving are now more standardized and the degree of scale has been significantly improved. By the end of 2023, the output value of the entire Dongyang rosewood industry chain has reached 77 billion yuan, with more than 100,000 employees.
collection
Agglomeration effect releases diversified benefits
In the Dongyang Economic Development Zone, the Jiangnan houses with pink walls and black tiles are particularly eye-catching.
This is the gathering place for Dongyang wood carving, and it has now become an industrial park integrating wood carving art and creative design, production and sales, display and exhibition, leisure tourism and other functions. At present, the park has gathered 37 masters of arts and crafts at or above the provincial level in Zhejiang.
In the art gallery of Chen Guohua, a provincial arts and crafts master, the wood carving art works attract people to stop. "In the past, my studio was built in a rural area with an ordinary environment and a small space." Chen Guohua said, now he has become a "permanent staff" here, and his art gallery has become the first "model house" in the town.
The art museum adopts the "front shop and back square" model, with the architectural structure of a large courtyard with gray tiles and horse head walls. It is laid out with exhibition halls, gardens, and aesthetic life experience spaces. Along the street is the work exhibition hall, in the middle is the patio garden, and in the back hall Living and creative areas.
In Chen Guohua's view, the gathering of wood carving craftsmen here has increased opportunities for mutual exchanges; and hundreds of intangible cultural heritage experience, wood carving culture and other themed activities every year are also further expanding the cultural influence of Dongyang wood carving. "Dongyang wood carving has a 'gathering point' in geographical space, and it also provides a 'basic point' for spreading wood carving culture." Chen Guohua said.
When visitors come to the park, they can experience the history of wood carving and appreciate the charm of wood carving through holographic images; practitioners can realize an integrated full-chain industrial experience here from wood trading, product design, processing and production to marketing.
Agglomeration is the original intention of industrial park construction. "We focus on the entrepreneurship of the wood carving and mahogany industry and the training of wood carving talents, and divide the park into the wood carving and mahogany industry area, the cultural and creative industry area, the characteristic folk experience area, and the supporting service guarantee area." Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Management of Dongyang Economic Development Zone Li Aizhong, director of the committee, introduced.
The park also signed a contract with Zhejiang Guangsha Construction Vocational and Technical University to establish a "dual-qualified" teacher training and training base to build a new model of integrating industry and education to cultivate a team of professional talents for the traditional woodcarving industry.
"Nowadays, under the guidance of policies, more and more cultural elements are gathering in the park. We hope that Dongyang wood carving can be better inherited and developed in the park." Li Aizhong said.
Reporter Dou Hanyang
(People's Daily)