“寧可食無(wú)肉，不可居無(wú)竹。”東坡居士的這句名言，道出了中國(guó)人對(duì)竹文化的情結(jié)。成都平原自古盛產(chǎn)翠竹，竹文化更是蜀風(fēng)雅韻的精髓。在“竹編之鄉(xiāng)”成都崇州道明鎮(zhèn)，千百年來(lái)，人們依竹而居，以竹為器，“山上清泉山下流，家家戶戶編花篼”的民間小令流傳至今。
2014年，道明竹編被列入國(guó)家級(jí)非物質(zhì)文化遺產(chǎn)代表性項(xiàng)目保護(hù)名單。成都立足獨(dú)特的自然人文稟賦，促進(jìn)現(xiàn)代都市與大美鄉(xiāng)村融合發(fā)展、歷史文化與開(kāi)放時(shí)尚交相輝映。3年后，一座以竹編為特色的竹藝村在道明鎮(zhèn)應(yīng)運(yùn)而生，不僅吸引了中外游客，更讓曾難以為繼的竹編業(yè)逐漸走出了困境。
“90后”楊隆梅是最年輕的道明竹編傳承人，依托竹藝村建設(shè)，她在這里成立了自己的竹編工作室，為古老的竹編注入了新生力量。
“大火燒回來(lái)的掌門(mén)人"
楊隆梅生在道明鎮(zhèn)的竹編世家，兒時(shí)的玩具竹鈴鐺、竹蜻蜓，淘米的竹籮、簸箕，納涼的竹席、竹扇……竹編環(huán)繞著她的童年，也貫穿了她的生活。但楊隆梅原本并無(wú)意從事竹編行業(yè)，“手藝人要耐得住清苦”，“90后”的她更向往繁華新潮的都市生活。
轉(zhuǎn)折發(fā)生在2013年。楊隆梅從民航服務(wù)專業(yè)大學(xué)畢業(yè)，心心念念去沿海城市機(jī)場(chǎng)工作。就在這時(shí)，家里的竹編工廠意外發(fā)生火災(zāi)，損失慘重。聞?dòng)嵹s回家的她，看著備受打擊的父母和焦黑的廠房，心疼不已。
竹編廠自爺爺創(chuàng)辦至今已有幾十年，她不愿家人的心血付諸東流，更不愿看到隨著一代手藝人老去，竹編技藝面臨失傳的境地，“像我們這種非遺行業(yè)，如果不去堅(jiān)守，傳承就會(huì)斷層。”楊隆梅決定接過(guò)父母肩上的擔(dān)子，守護(hù)這個(gè)承載了她童年美好記憶的地方。竹編的核心是手藝。從原竹到竹編，要在手藝人的手中經(jīng)歷幾十道工序。楊隆梅向老手藝人拜師求教，還常常走訪竹編廠的手藝人，了解他們各自擅長(zhǎng)的技藝。她請(qǐng)教最多的是爺爺生前的好友，這位年過(guò)七旬的老手藝人將選材、破竹的技巧，劃絲、編織的手法，傾囊相授，他總念叨：“不怕人學(xué)，就怕沒(méi)人學(xué)。"
除了學(xué)習(xí)技藝，楊隆梅還一肩挑起了工廠的管理工作。產(chǎn)品研發(fā)、統(tǒng)籌生產(chǎn)、銷(xiāo)售接洽、平臺(tái)運(yùn)營(yíng)，集多種職能于一身，很多事情都親力親為，她的時(shí)間表總是排得滿滿當(dāng)當(dāng)。
最初，楊隆梅內(nèi)心有過(guò)矛盾和掙扎，試著在曾經(jīng)向往的都市生活與手藝人的忙碌清苦中尋找平衡點(diǎn)。經(jīng)過(guò)一年多沉淀，她發(fā)現(xiàn)自己對(duì)竹編的情感“漸漸從責(zé)任變成了熱愛(ài)”。到如今，她接手竹編已是第十個(gè)年頭，周?chē)娜顺３Ｕ{(diào)侃她是“大火燒回來(lái)的掌門(mén)人”。
楊隆梅在做竹編。
竹編新生
楊隆梅剛接手竹編廠時(shí)，道明竹編產(chǎn)業(yè)正處于谷底。竹編廠的業(yè)務(wù)以制作食品包裝為主，但現(xiàn)代工業(yè)技術(shù)替代品多，竹編又因純手工制作無(wú)法比量，競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力越來(lái)越弱。起初，她的決定并不被看好，有人覺(jué)得她是忍受不了外面的壓力，回來(lái)啃老的，也有人因?yàn)樗贻p而不信任她。“那段時(shí)間，我感覺(jué)自己仿佛站在布滿迷霧的幽暗森林中，找不到出口。"
自幼與竹為伴的楊隆梅，也有著竹子的韌性。她不顧外界的非議和質(zhì)疑，一心琢磨竹編的出路，漸漸找到了方向——只有創(chuàng)新才能讓古老的竹編煥發(fā)新生。“道明竹編有著2000多年的歷史，時(shí)代在進(jìn)步，我們的產(chǎn)品必須順應(yīng)時(shí)代的發(fā)展，要適合每個(gè)時(shí)期的審美。”楊隆梅以傳統(tǒng)竹編技法為基礎(chǔ)，融入時(shí)尚元素、現(xiàn)代美學(xué)，對(duì)竹編工藝改良提升，甚至重新研發(fā)。創(chuàng)新的理念始終貫穿著楊隆梅的日常，她時(shí)時(shí)刻刻都在思考著，不放過(guò)任何一個(gè)靈感乍現(xiàn)的瞬間。有一次編織燈籠，她突發(fā)奇想，直接收口，編織出一個(gè)類(lèi)似太陽(yáng)神鳥(niǎo)的圖案，在此基礎(chǔ)上她又進(jìn)行精進(jìn)改良，現(xiàn)在廣受歡迎的竹編平安扣就這樣誕生了。
研發(fā)竹絲扣瓷時(shí)，許多人認(rèn)為不可能實(shí)現(xiàn)，但楊隆梅堅(jiān)信“只要想做，肯定能做成”，她專程飛了一趟景德鎮(zhèn)，找廠家打樣、開(kāi)模制作，把“不可能”變成了精致的竹編新品。經(jīng)過(guò)她的巧思，隔熱鍋圈變成了精致時(shí)尚的戒指、鎖骨鏈，竹鈴鐺變成了搖曳的耳墜，平面竹編圖案變成了皮包上的點(diǎn)綴……
竹編大熊貓。
楊隆梅不斷地摸索著創(chuàng)新之路。成都這座城市向來(lái)注重文化傳承，鼓勵(lì)創(chuàng)新，為她這樣的非遺傳承人助力。圍繞打造“非遺”品牌，成都市向高校借力借智，與中央美術(shù)學(xué)院等專業(yè)院校簽訂文化戰(zhàn)略合作協(xié)議，建立中央美術(shù)學(xué)院駐四川成都傳統(tǒng)工藝工作站，為非遺傳承人創(chuàng)造學(xué)習(xí)與合作的機(jī)會(huì)，助力傳統(tǒng)手工藝與現(xiàn)代設(shè)計(jì)的結(jié)合。“通過(guò)設(shè)計(jì)思維的引領(lǐng)，我們能夠不斷進(jìn)步，竹編產(chǎn)品也一直在提檔升級(jí)。”楊隆梅說(shuō)。
如今，道明竹編作品被越來(lái)越多的人群接受和喜愛(ài)，楊隆梅也在不斷探索竹編發(fā)展新方向，逐步拓展到裝修裝飾建筑、公共藝術(shù)搭建、美術(shù)陳列等新領(lǐng)域。她還用年輕人的思維和活力，把竹編的“展示窗口”從村里的作坊、展會(huì)的攤位，拓展到了抖音等網(wǎng)絡(luò)平臺(tái)上，“希望能夠讓手藝變?yōu)樗囆g(shù)，讓藝術(shù)回歸生活”。
竹編大熊貓、孔雀等。
不只是手藝人，也是“守藝人"
曾經(jīng)，竹編手藝人是不起眼的“篾匠”，靠手工換取微薄的酬勞，看不到出路。近年來(lái)，成都市大力促進(jìn)非物質(zhì)文化遺產(chǎn)保護(hù)和發(fā)展，讓傳統(tǒng)手工藝人、非遺傳承人在保護(hù)和傳承中體現(xiàn)自身價(jià)值與社會(huì)責(zé)任。
“以‘三城三都’建設(shè)為牽引，推動(dòng)天府文化創(chuàng)造性轉(zhuǎn)化、創(chuàng)新性發(fā)展，開(kāi)發(fā)更多鐫刻成都印記的‘現(xiàn)象級(jí)IP’。”成都市第十四次黨代會(huì)報(bào)告中提到。千百年來(lái)，成都既傳承著燦爛輝煌的中華文明，又孕育出獨(dú)具魅力的天府文化，成為城市發(fā)展進(jìn)步最基本、最深沉、最持久的力量。
在這一契機(jī)下，楊隆梅多次參加國(guó)際文化交流活動(dòng)，向世界展示道明竹編文化的魅力。
2019年，楊隆梅到盧森堡參加文化交流活動(dòng)，在技藝展演現(xiàn)場(chǎng)，一位外國(guó)參觀者一直圍著她轉(zhuǎn)，語(yǔ)言不通，就用手比劃。楊隆梅見(jiàn)他對(duì)竹編如此感興趣，就讓他伸出手指，現(xiàn)場(chǎng)為其“定制”了一枚竹編戒指。不到一分鐘，戒指編完，楊隆梅一抬頭，發(fā)現(xiàn)他身后竟排起了一條長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的隊(duì)伍，都在等待竹編戒指。“這是我們中國(guó)的竹編首飾，獨(dú)一無(wú)二。”回憶起這段經(jīng)歷，楊隆梅笑道，“竹編不僅可以很接地氣，也可以很?chē)?guó)際范兒。"
無(wú)論是當(dāng)外國(guó)人得知竹編原材料是大熊貓最?lèi)?ài)的食物后瞪大雙眼的驚訝，還是海外華僑華人見(jiàn)到竹編后流露出的親切，都讓楊隆梅感到，竹編的價(jià)值是金錢(qián)難以衡量的。“當(dāng)我們帶著竹編走出國(guó)門(mén)的時(shí)候，會(huì)很自豪。回來(lái)之后，又可以將在國(guó)外的見(jiàn)聞和感觸融入竹編作品創(chuàng)作中，特別有成就感。”楊隆梅說(shuō)。
近年來(lái)，成都市圍繞鄉(xiāng)村振興戰(zhàn)略和公園城市建設(shè)，助推竹產(chǎn)業(yè)和竹文化發(fā)展，道明竹藝村的建設(shè)，吸引了很多年輕人返鄉(xiāng)就業(yè)，傳承竹編文化，道明竹編迎來(lái)了新的發(fā)展機(jī)遇。楊隆梅也在這里建立了工作室，在她的帶動(dòng)下，合作社原有的10人竹編技師隊(duì)伍擴(kuò)展到50余人，其中一半都是年輕技師，同時(shí)帶動(dòng)周邊300多戶農(nóng)戶加入，不僅傳承了傳統(tǒng)技藝，也實(shí)現(xiàn)了就近居家就業(yè)。
竹編事業(yè)蒸蒸日上，但楊隆梅不會(huì)止步于此。她帶著道明竹編走進(jìn)校園、社區(qū)，普及竹編知識(shí)，免費(fèi)提供專業(yè)培訓(xùn)，如今，“道明竹編非遺文化進(jìn)校園”已經(jīng)從道明走出，輻射到成都及周邊的許多中小學(xué)校，為竹編文化的傳播與傳承帶來(lái)了新的希望和可能。楊隆梅不只是手藝人，也是“守藝人”。她的故事也是成都用中華優(yōu)秀傳統(tǒng)文化培根鑄魂、潤(rùn)城化人，努力打造彰顯中華文明魅力、天府文化特色的世界文化名城的一個(gè)縮影。
"I'd rather have no meat for meals than have no bamboo around my residence."This famous sentence by Su Shi,a well-known poet in ancient China,shows the cultural complex of Chinese people toward bamboo.
Chengdu Plain has been abundant in bamboo since the ancient times,and the bamboo culture also serves as the soul of the charm of Sichuan.In Daoming Town,Chongzhou,Chengdu,the"hometown of bamboo weaving",for thousands of years,the people have been living a life with bamboo as containers and tools.The folk"Clear streams flow down from the mountain,and every household weaves flower baskets"has passed down tonow.
In 2014,Daoming bamboo weaving was listed as a representative protection project for national intangible cultural heritage.Chengdu,endowed with unique nature and human culture,promotes the integrated development of the modern city and the beautiful countryside,with the historic culture and openness and fashion complementing each other.3 years later,a village featuring bamboo weaving was set up in Daoming Town.It not only attracted both domestic and overseas tourists but also led the bamboo weaving industry that was once difficult to sustain to gradually get out of the trouble.
Post-90s Yang Longmei is the youngest inheritor of Daoming bamboo weaving.With the building of the village featuring bamboo handicraft,she has set up her own bamboo weaving studio here,which injects new vigor and vitality into this ancient handicraft.
"Leader Brought Back by a Fire"
Yang Longmei was born in a bamboo weaving family in Daoming Town.In her childhood,what was around her was the toys like bamboo bells and bamboo-copters,bamboo baskets for rinsing rice,bamboo dustpans,bamboo mats for enjoying the cool,and bamboo fans...,all of which were related to bamboo weaving.Yet Yang didn't originally intend to engage in the bamboo weaving industry."Craftsmen should be tolerant to a poor and tough life."As a post-90s,she preferred the prosperity and fashion of the city.
The turning point was in 2013.As Yang graduated from a vocational college in civil aviation service,what she dreamed of is working at an airport in a coastal city.Then,unexpectedly,a fire disaster hit her family's bamboo weaving factory,which led to atremendous loss.When she heard the news on her way back home,she saw her stricken parents and the coal-black factory after the fire,heartbroken and grieved.It has been decades since the bamboo weaving factory was founded by her grandfather.She didn't want to see her family's efforts go down the drain and the bamboo weaving craft would be lost as a generation of craftsmen got old."Intangible cultural heritage,like bamboo weaving,will fail to be handed down if we donot hold fast to it."Yang Longmei then decided to take the responsibility of her parents and guard this place that had carried her beautiful childhood memories.
The core of bamboo weaving is handicraft.From raw bamboo to bamboo weaving,craftsmen have to go through tens of processes.Yang Longmei often visited some senior craftsmen for learning and even some craftsmen in the bamboo weaving factories to acquire the skills they were specialized in.The one she visited most was a good friend of her grandfather.This over-70-yearold craftsman taught her everything about raw material selection,technique of cutting bamboo,and weaving.He always said:"I'm never bothered when others come to me for learning,and my only fear is no one wants to learn them."
Besides acquiring techniques,Yang Longmei also took responsibility to manage the factory.Product R&D,overall planning for production,sales contact,and platform operation...She took multiple functions and handled many tasks in person,with her schedule always full.
At first,Yang Longmei had struggles and conflicts in her mind,as she tried tofind a balance between the city life she once longed for and the busy and impoverished life of a craftsman.However,after a year of practice,she found that her feeling toward bamboo weaving had"gradually turned from a responsibility to a passion".Up to now,it has been ten years since she took over the bamboo weaving.People around her often joke that she is a"leader brought back by a fire".
New Birth of Bamboo Weaving
In the beginning when Yang Longmei took over the bamboo weaving factory,Daoming's bamboo weaving industry was at a low ebb.The business of the factory was mainly food package manufacturing.However,compared with many modern industrial technological alternatives,bamboo weaving products,which were purely handmade,could not prevail over them and were less and less competitive.At first,her decision was not respected.Some people thought she went back home to live off her parents because she couldn't stand the pressure outside her hometown.Some people simply didn't trust her because she was too young."During that time,I felt like standing in a misty dark forest,failing to find my way out."
Yang Longmei was researching and developing the weaving of bamboo filament on porcelain body.
Accompanied by bamboo ever since a child,Yang Longmei,like the bamboo,also has tenacity and perseverance.She blocked off the external reproaches and doubts and was fully committed to exploring a way out for bamboo weaving,and gradually,she found the way-only innovation could bring new life to the ancient bamboo weaving techniques."Daoming bamboo weaving has a history of over 2000 years.As the society is developing,our products have to be in response to the times and adapt to the aesthetics of this age."Yang Longmei tries to integrate the fashion designs and modern aesthetics with bamboo weaving techniques to improve and even re-develop the bamboo weaving crafts.
The concept of innovation has gone through Yang Longmei's daily life.She is always thinking,not letting slip of any flash of inspiration.Once,when she was weaving a lantern,she bound off the strap on a whim and made a pattern that resembled the Sunbird.Through her further improvement on the design,a bamboo-woven peace knot was created,which has been widely popular among people nowadays.
When Yang was studying to make bamboo-filament porcelain cover,many people thought she could not succeed,but she firmly believed that"where there is a will,there is a way".She flew all the way to Jingdezhen City,a city well-known for porcelain,to make samples and new molds with the manufacturers,turning the"impossible"into exquisite innovative bamboo-woven products.With her ingenuity,she also turned the heat-insulated pot rings into fine and fashionable rings and collar chain necklaces,and bamboo bells into eardrops,and flat bamboo patterns into ornaments of leather bags...
Yang Longmei consistently explores ways of innovation.Chengdu has always been focusing on cultural inheritance and motivates innovation,helping the intangible cultural heritage inheritors like her.Centering on building"intangible cultural heritage"brands,Chengdu borrows resources from universities and has signed strategic cultural cooperation agreement with professional academies like the Central Academy of Fine Arts and established a traditional craft workshop of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Chengdu,Sichuan,to provide intangible cultural heritage inheritors with opportunities for learning and cooperation and boost the combination of traditional handicrafts and modern designs."Led by the design based thinking,we can make continuous improvement,and bamboo-woven products are also upgrading,"said Yang Longmei.
Now,Daoming bamboo weaving products are recognized and loved by more and more people.Yang Longmei is also consistently exploring new development direction of bamboo weaving,extending the scope to and is gradually expanding the scope to decoration,architecture,public art construction and fine art exhibition,etc.With her thinking and vigor,she also expands the display of bamboo weaving from the workshops in the village and the stalls at conventions to online platforms like Tiktok."I wish we can turn handicraft into art and then make art return to our life".
Bamboo-weaving lantern.
Handicraftsman,as well as Guardian of Traditional Crafts
Before,bamboo weaving handicraftsmen were ordinary craftsmen who just sold their handiwork to get slender income and had no promising future.In recent years,Chengdu has been vigorously promoting the protection and development of intangible cultural heritage to show the value and social responsibilities of traditional craftsmen and intangible cultural heritage inheritors in the process of protection and inheritance.
Bamboo-weaving bull.
"Driven by the building of Six Cities(world-famous city of culture and innovation,tourism,sports events,gastronomy,music,and fairs and exhibitions),we will promote the innovative transformation and development of the Tianfu culture and develop more intellectual property culture that has Chengdu imprint,"said the Report of the 14th Chengdu Municipal Congress of the Communist Party of China.For thousands of years,Chengdu not only inherited significant and splendid Chinese civilization but also gave birth to uniquely charming Tianfu culture,which has been the most fundamental,deep-rooted and long-lasting power for the city development.
With this opportunity,Yang Longmei has participated in many international cultural exchange events and showed the charms of Daoming bamboo weaving culture to the whole world.
In 2019,Yang Longmei went to Luxembourg and attended a cultural exchange event.at the venue of technique and art exhibition,an foreign visitor kept around her,making gestures to communicate with her as the visitor didn't understand Chinese.Given that this visitor was so intrigued by bamboo weaving,Yang Longmei got him to put out his fingers and'customized'a bamboo-woven ring for him right away.Less than a minute later,the ring was completed.Yang Longmei raised her head and found there had been many people in a long queue behind her,all of which were waiting for the bamboowoven ring."This is China's bamboo-woven ring accessory,which is unique."Recalling this experience,Yang Longmei smiled and said:"Bamboo weaving can be local and also international."
Whether foreigners get stunned and surprised that raw material for bamboo weaving is what the panda loves to eat most or the overseas Chinese feel warm toward bamboo weaving,a traditional Chinese technique,Yang Longmei always believes that the value of bamboo weaving cannot simply be measured by money."When we bring bamboo weaving abroad,we'd be proud.When we come back,we will further integrate what we see and hear and what we feel abroad into our bamboo weaving works.This gives us a special feeling of achievement."said Yang Longmei.
For the past few years,Chengdu centered on Rural Revitalization Strategies and construction of Park City,boosting the development of the bamboo industry and bamboo culture.The construction of Daoming bamboo craft village has attracted a great number of young people to return to their hometown for employment and to inherit bamboo weaving culture.Daoming bamboo weaving is embracing the new opportunity of development.Yang Longmei has also set up a studio here.Under her leadership,the cooperative has been expanded from the original 10-person bamboo weaving technician team to ateam of more than 50 people,half of which are young technicians.Also,over 300 rural households joined the industry,which not only boosts the inheritance of traditional crafts but also enables working nearby.
Bamboo-weaving balls and jade discs for peace and safety.
The business of bamboo weaving is on the rise,but Yang Longmei will never stop here.She brings Daoming bamboo weaving to campus and community to popularize knowledge about bamboo weaving and provide free professional training.Sofar,the"Daoming Bamboo Weaving Intangible Cultural Heritage Enters Campus"event has expanded beyond just Daoming and involved all over Chengdu and many primary and secondary schools in the surrounding regions,bringing new hopes and possibilities to the transmission and inheritance of bamboo weaving culture.Yang Longmei is a handicraftsman,as well as the guardian of traditional crafts.Her story is also a model that shows that Chengdu grounds its effort in traditional
Chinese culture to seek development and nurture the people,to build itself into a worldwide-famous cultural city that highlights the charms of Chinese civilization and Tianfu cultural characteristics.
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