The New Year's sun sprinkles on the stone road of the alley, making the ancient city of Zhaohua look particularly quiet and warm. In front of the gate of No. 11 Tufei Street, there is something lively and abnormal. At 11 o'clock on January 1, the "Four Li Printing Society" founded by Wang Ziyi, an octogenarian artist who lives in the ancient city of Zhaohua, was officially established.
"There is a beauty of the mountains here, and its people are all sages and philosophers." The woodcut couplet at the door is an ink treasure given to Wang Ziyi by a famous calligrapher in Chengdu when he visited the ancient city of Zhaohua 13 years ago. When the "Sili Printing Society" was newly opened, the old man personally carved a couplet of wood and permanently nailed it to the door. The "Four Seal Societies" take righteousness, morality, speech, and tao, which just embodies the core values of socialism. Wang Ziyi said that he hopes that the people of the world will be the lord, stress morality, have faith in their words, and take the right path.
A carving knife, a piece of jade, a desk. This is the exclusive creative space of the 82-year-old Prince Yi. Tools are also taken from the side, after years of baptism, the carving knife processed with the discarded turning knife on the machine tool has been worn from the original chopsticks to the current lack of cigarette length.
More than 30 years ago, Wang Ziyi, who was idle at home after being laid off, began to study the hobby of engraving seals and cutting paper. He likes to be quiet and can especially sit still, and for a work, he often fights until one or two in the morning, or even an all-nighter.
Neighbors familiar with him introduced to reporters that the old neighbors of Zhaohua Ancient City all know that the prince yi old man has "four arts". In addition to the familiar seal carving, there are three skills: calligraphy, paper cutting and wood carving. In recent years, he has created many seals and paper-cut works at important historical nodes such as Hong Kong's return to the Beijing Olympics, earthquake relief, epidemic prevention and control, the 70th anniversary of the National Day, and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, and these works are now exhibited in the newly founded "Four Li Printing Society".
It is reported that in the ancient city of Zhaohua, in addition to the 81-year-old Wang Ziyi, who likes the art of seal carving, calligraphy, paper-cutting and woodcut, there is also the 86-year-old Jia Daoming who is good at calligraphy, the 83-year-old Yang Yingquan who loves the art of photography, and the 80-year-old Huang Wanjin who loves calligraphy and painting. They are also known as the "Four Elders of the Ancient City" by the locals, and they are famous for tens of miles.
In recent years, the four elderly people have opened facades in the ancient city of Zhaohua to inherit traditional Chinese culture to the world. It is precisely because of their years of persistence and inheritance that the pearl of Zhaohua Ancient City has bloomed in the Jianmen Shu Dao.
Guangyuan Daily all-media reporter Wang Guoyi text/photo
Editor: Zhang Jing Proofreader: Chen Yao
Review: Cheng Zhurong