Recently,Zhang Lixiong,a representative inheritor of the Hechuan Xiayan,an intangible cultural heritage at the municipal level,received good news.His Xiayan work named"Spring Comes to the Withered Tree"won the second prize in the staff group of the handicraft carving(jade carving)event of the first Chongqing Jewelry,Jade and Ornament Industry Vocational Skills Competition of the"Bayu Craftsman"Cup.
When talking about winning this award,Zhang Lixiong could hardly conceal his joy."This award will inspire me to keep learning and constantly innovate,and to go further and further on the road of inheriting and carrying forward the production techniques of Hechuan Xiayan."
▲Xiayan Made by Zhang Lixiong
The"Native"Hechuan Xiayan
As a unique skill that is"native"to Hechuan,the production history of Hechuan Xiayan can be traced back to the Song Dynasty when the social economy was prosperous and cultural arts were flourishing.Hechuan,as an important water and land passage along the Jialing River,attracted numerous merchants.The prosperity of commerce promoted the production and circulation of the Gorge Ink-stone.Through the changes of dynasties,the production of the Gorge Ink-stone once came to a standstill and didn't gradually stabilize until the early years of the Republic of China.
▲Xiayan Carved by Zhang Lixiong
Persisting in Learning and Innovation and Constantly Improving the Production Techniques
"My brother-in-law had learned the production of Gorge Ink-stone,and the Gorge Ink-stones he carved were more beautiful and exquisite.So I had the idea of learning from him."Thus,his"brother-in-law"became his"master",and Zhang Lixiong formally learned to make Gorge Ink-stone from Zhou Jie.In order to improve his skills,apart from learning,Zhang Lixiong searched everywhere for carving patterns to study.It was not enough just to read the old books and picture albums he had collected.He also bought a computer and learned to surf the Internet to browse all kinds of patterns of carved beams and painted rafters,flowers,birds,fish and insects.Then he carefully copied them,digested and absorbed them,and constantly enriched his"material library"for carving Gorge Ink-stone.
It was precisely because of this long-term accumulation that Zhang Lixiong,who used to be a"beginner"awkwardly imitating others'works,has now grown into an"inheritor of intangible cultural heritage"who can design carving patterns according to the shape of the original stone and the vein direction.
In order to better inherit and promote the production techniques of Hechuan Xiayan,Zhang Lixiong also actively thought about how to make Hechuan Xiayan show more"bright spots".For this reason,he and his brother-in-law Zhou Jie would go to the mountains to look for new stone materials whenever they had time.Efforts pay off.Around 2010,in Yanjing,Hechuan,Zhang Lixiong found a kind of stone material with bright colors and equally fine texture,and he named it"Red Silk Stone".Zhang Lixiong introduced that compared with the Black Jade Stone,the Red Silk Stone is harder,but it can also be used to make ink-stones.Moreover,with its bright colors,it is favored by a large number of consumers.
▲The Works of Xiayan Sculpted by Zhang Lixiong
Joining the Inheritance Institute to Better Inherit Intangible Cultural Heritage Projects
With the joint efforts of numerous makers of Hechuan Xiayan,the Hechuan Xiayan Industry Association,which had been quiet for a while,"regained its strength".In 2023,the association opened a free apprenticeship and inheritance venue for master craftsmen at the Wengfeng Ancient Street Gorge Ink-stone Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum.People interested in the production of Hechuan Xiayan can go there to observe and learn."We teach production techniques there every weekend,"Zhang Lixiong introduced.Since the opening of the inheritance institute,he has taken in seven or eight apprentices,most of whom are young people,and there is even a primary school student among them."We are very gratified to see that everyone likes Hechuan Xiayan,"Zhang Lixiong said with a smile.
In order to spread the production techniques of Hechuan Xiayan further and wider,with the support of the district Intangible Cultural Heritage Center,Zhang Lixiong has visited campuses such as Chongqing Technology and Business Institute,Chongqing College of Mobile Communications,and Hechuan Bashu Primary School many times to tell the historical stories and production techniques of Hechuan Xiayan to teachers and students,guide students to experience the production of Gorge Ink-stone,and make more people fall in love with Hechuan Xiayan.
