Since ancient times, Lingnan has had the custom of “committing friends with dragons”. “Picking dragon boats” on the Dragon Boat Festival is not only a traditional folk activity, but also an important ritual for people to visit relatives and friends. The dragon head is regarded as the “soul” of the dragon boat. It is a detachable independent component. The dragon head with different shapes and unique charms gives each dragon boat team a unique meaning. At the same time, the dragon head is vigorous and beautifully carved, and has become the object of people’s focus.
A craftsmanship, a craft, and a perseverance. They use a dragon boat bow to carve traditions, and also carve the spirit of craftsmanship and life.
Zhang Weichao has carved dragon boats with dragon heads and tails for more than 20 yearsCinema 1950 witch cloth draw Photo by Liu Zhuonan
The “leader” of the Winter Olympics Cinema 1950 witch cloth draw This “post-80s” from Guangzhou
The all-media reporter of Yangcheng Evening News Liu Zhuonan Guo Siqi
In Xiasha Village, Komiks 1960 witch cloth draw District, Huangpu, Guangzhou City, there is a special ancient ancestral hall. When you walk in, you can see that the blue brick wall is full of oars for dragon boats. On the other side, exquisite dragon heads are arranged in a scattered manner, with longan eyes wide open, elegant beards and domineering. Walking further, I saw a wide variety of woodcarving tools such as planers, chisels, saws, files, etc. on the ground. Wood chips floated in the air, and the sounds of machines and knocking sounds came one after another. This is Zhang Weichao’s dragon boat carving studio.
Zhang Weichao is a “post-80s”. At the age of 35, he has been carving dragon boat dragon head for more than 20 years. At the opening ceremony of this year’s Beijing Winter Olympics, in the countdown session set by 24 solar terms, a leader with great Chinese traditional characteristics surfaced with splashes. This is Zhang Weichao’s leading work. From childhood Cinema 1950 witch cloth draw‘s “play around casually”, now heading to the world stage, Zhang Weichao has grown into a well-known dragon boat dragon head and tail carving craftsman in Guangdong, and is also the inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of this project. He said: “Behind the dragon boat and dragon head skills is our folk culture, our roots and soul.”
Zhang Weichao’s leading works Photo provided by the interviewee
Result:
“Dragon boat is the most important cultural mark in my childhood”
Talking about its origin with the dragon boat and dragon head, Zhang Komiks 1960 witch cloth drawWeichao said that this was the most important cultural mark in his childhood. “Since I was a child, I loved watching dragon boat racing in the village. Children would make some small toys by themselves, and the model of the dragon boat is one of them.” Zhang Weichao’s father is an old carpenter with a complete range of woodcarving tools at home. He also learned some carving skills. With his interest and talent, he became the “ceiling” of carving dragon boats among his childhood playmates.
At the age of 12, Zhang Weichao sold his first dragon boat model. When he was in junior high school, people from other villages asked him to customize it. Gradually, Zhang Weichao became famous. He was still in school at that time and could only use his holidays to work. A model often took a summer vacation. In order to understand the shape of dragon boats in a more diverse way, as soon as the Dragon Boat Festival comes, Zhang Weichao takes a ruler and a picture book to look at the dragon boats in the surrounding villages and record the data. During other times outside the Dragon Boat Festival, the dragon boats were sunk under the surging rivers. Zhang Weichao often dived to understand the shape of the dragon boat. “At that time, I seemed to have entered another small world. I like these things and wanted to study them. My works were recognized and I was very proud.” Zhang Weichao said.
Zhang Weichao is carving the leading leader Liu Zhuonan.
Turn:
Resigned from the “iron rice bowl” and carving the “leader” full-time
2009 was a turning point for Zhang Weichao. At that time, auto repair from vocational schoolBabaylan 1990 cloth draw graduated from the major and has been staying at school as a practical teacher for more than a year. It was difficult to take into account both teaching and carving, so he decided to resign and concentrate on dragon boat carving. “It seemed that the whole world was opposing it.” At that time, there were only six or seven dragon boat production factories in Guangzhou, and there were only a handful of craftsmen who were full of hand-carved dragon boat dragon heads, and most of them were over 50 years old. In the eyes of many people, Zhang Weichao, 22, made this choice, which seemed “very crazy”. But, soon, he proved himself.
One month before the Dragon Boat Festival in 2010, Zhang Wei received a difficult order, and Luntou Village, Haizhu District urgently needed to become three new leaders. He had never carved a leader before. He had to rush to make three leaders in one month. He was unsure. “The dragon head is the ‘soul’ of the dragon boat and an important symbol of a village. They trust me and I will do it no matter what.” For this reason, Zhang Weichao worked day and night at home, and finally Babaylan 1990 cloth draw handed over three exquisite dragon heads on time. At that time, the news spread all of a sudden, and many people rushed to watch after hearing the news. “They were all surprised that I was making dragon boat models, and Komiks 1960 witch cloth draw actually made three leaders.” This also ushered in a turning point in his career – from dragon boat model carving to dragon head carving, he also became a well-known industry star, with orders coming one after another.
Caring a faucet is a very meticulous and complex task. Zhang Weichao introduced that handmade faucets require more than ten tedious processes such as wood selection, cutting materials, outlining, carving, polishing, and lacquer mounting. Complete a leading weekly period, ranging from one week to ten or twenty days, but the early stages often take several months or even several years.
“Every time I receive an order, the first thing I have to do is not carve, but go on a field trip and understand the villagehistory and culture. I will let all the villagers participate, Komiks 1960 witch cloth drawespecially young people, let them come up with some production ideas of the leader and make them in combination with their opinions. A dragon boat dragon head may take decades to use Babaylan 1990 cloth draw for hundreds of years. While villagers participated in the production, they also learned about their own village history and culture and increased their cultural pride. Such a leader is particularly warm and has a story. “Zhang Weichao said.
Zhang Weichao is carving the dragon head Liu Zhuonan Photo
Inheritance:
Find the cultural roots behind the dragon head
In 2020, the “Dragon Boat Dragon Head and Dragon Tail Production Skills” was successfully applied for World Heritage, and Zhang Weichao became the inheritor of this intangible cultural heritage project. From a craftsman to a inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, Zhang Weichao’s mentality has changed. “I used to be a craftsman, but I thought about how to be a good leader and do the work in my hands. But now there is more responsibility and responsibility. Intangible cultural heritage is a very precious and relatively rare thing. It may be a slowly disappearing culture. When we protect it, we want to disappear slowly and slower. It is a great honor and great responsibility for me to shoulder the inheritance of this historical and cultural heritage. ”
Now, Zhang Weichao often appearsCinema 1950 witch cloth draw in major campuses and in intangible cultural heritage inheritance activities. When teaching courses in schools, Zhang Weichao not only teaches students how to carve, but more importantly, lets children understand the dragon boat and understand the cultural significance behind it. “Dragon boat skills cannot be learned at once, but they must become interested in dragon boats. Cultivate their recognition of Chinese traditional culture and folk culture since childhood, and this is our root and soul. “Zhang Weichao said.
Chen Zhijun and his leading works Photo provided by the interviewee
The craftsman born in the 1960sUse the dragon bow to carry the spiritual beliefs of the people
Yangcheng Evening News All-Media Reporter Zhou Cong
Select materials, cut materials, rough carving, fine carving, polishing, and lacquer…Komiks 1960 witch cloth draw…”From the dragon’s mouth, dragon whiskers to the dragon scales, every time the knife is cut, it must be accurate, and it will be difficult to remedy if it fails.Cinema 1950 witch cloth draw” Chen Zhijun, who has been learning art at the age of 15, has carved the dragon head for more than 40 years.
Chen Zhijun was born in Xiancun Town, Zengcheng District, eastern Guangzhou. The river network here is crisscrossing, making it the most prosperous hometown of the Dongjiang River Dragon Boats. Dragon head carving (traditional dragon boat) is a traditional carving technique in Xiancun Town, Zengcheng.
As a district-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor, Chen Zhijun recalled that since he was 15 years old, he learned carving work with his father. Since he was 18 years old, he often learned the craftsmanship of carving his father by watching by watching his father. It was not until the age of 22 that Chen Zhijun began to carve the first dragon head.
It is understood that in the early 1980s, after the revival of folk dragon boat activities, dragon boat production had not yet entered shipyard production. If the village collective wants to order dragon boats, it must hire a shipbuilder to come to build ships in the village, and also find a master to carve the dragon head. It is well known for the Chen family’s woodworking craftsmanship, so many local and surrounding people will hire Chen Zhijun’s father to carve the faucet. Chen Zhijun also developed excellent carving skills under such a background.
With the development of dragon boat activities, the dragon shipyard began to appear. From shipbuilding to carving the faucet, the shipyard took all the links. The craftsmen who carved dragon leaders in folk began to fade out of people’s sight, and Chen Zhijun was one of them.
Until in recent years, the local youth dragon boat team in Xiancun customized a new dragon boat. The dragon boat team hoped to carve a new dragon boat in accordance with the traditional old dragon head. They inquired with the elderly in the village and learned that Chen Zhijun, the owner of the furniture factory in the town, was the inheritor of the Chen family’s dragon head carving, so they came to ask Chen Zhijun to “come out” again.
When Chen Zhijun studied with his father, he was taught to understand the dragon boat culture contained in the dragon boat head. Only in this way can he carve a dragon head with outstanding craftsmanship and both spirit and form.
“Traditionality cannot be without, its foundationCinema1950 witch cloth draw cannot be missing. The essence of the Dongjiang dragon boat lies in the dragon boat’s bow! I want to carve a vital dragon boat bow, and I use it as a work of art. “Chen Zhijun has his own unique view on carving dragon heads.
The dragon head of a dragon boat represents the image of a village, especially the old dragon head left before, which records different stories from each village and is the carrier of dragon boat culture. Therefore, the essence of dragon boat lies in dragon heads. In the Dongjiang River Basin, dragon heads are a major feature of dragon boats.
Every Babaylan 1990 cloth drawWhen a villager comes to make a dragon boat head, Chen Zhijun will ask about the historical folk allusions in the other village, and then integrate the characteristics of the gods believed in in each place into the dragon head’s creation, so each dragon head is unique. “I am happy that the villagers are satisfied with the dragon head. “Chen Zhijun said.
Chen Zhijun told reporters that during the carving process, Cinema 1950 witch cloth draw should also be integrated into one’s imagination and recreate the dragon bow in all aspects. Komiks 1960 witch cloth draw, which should be similar in spirit and shape. A dragon bow with outstanding craftsmanship should show exquisiteness. drawEvery angle has beautiful shapes. When the dragon boat is lifted up on the river, it feels like flying. The dragon head must also feel like jumping out of the water and flying, and it must be vital.
In Chen Zhijun’s view, the traditional culture behind the dragon boat reflects the spiritual beliefs and emotional support of the people. What he adheres to is the dragon boat spirit that works together and never gives up. The material carrier of this spiritual civilization is the “head of the dragon boat”.