He is an excellent craftsman, born in a family of five generations of craftsmen, dedicated to the inheritance of the intangible cultural heritage of traditional classical craft furniture, and his furniture and works have won more than 200 national gold, silver and bronze awards. At the same time, he is also an excellent entrepreneur, driving the continuous development of the economy of his hometown, and constantly spreading his hometown culture to all over the world. In addition, he is a museum director, constantly popularizing historical knowledge and sharing exquisite skills to everyone who loves classical furniture. He is Lin Guoshui, with multiple identities, but still simple and humble to practice the original dream - to inherit classical skills and retain cultural roots.
Bonded with wood
Putian, Fujian, this eastern coastal city since ancient times celebrities and giants are full of stars. Also well known is the local carving of Putian, the technology has a long history, Putian is also a world-famous agarwood, sandalwood distribution center. Fine wood from all over the world is collected and processed into amazing works in this place, and Putian carvings are famous for their perfect artistic shapes and exquisite knife skills. Therefore, Putian City, which has rich wood resources and carving culture, has the titles of "Capital of Classical Chinese Furniture", "City of Chinese Wood Carving" and "City of Chinese Wood Industry".
Lin Guoshui, the "non-hereditary inheritor of traditional Chinese classical craft furniture", is a native of Putian, Fujian. Following the timber connoisseurs and folk craftsmen, Lin Guoshui, who has been exposed to a large number of wood raw materials since childhood, has accumulated profound experience in wood knowledge. Of course, this skill can be acquired, but Lin Guoshui has had innate favorable conditions and rich resources since childhood, allowing him to practice excellent skills in the world of wood, and led him to a career path in the dark.
Cage drawer, this small cookware is not much seen today, belongs to the ancient traditional handicrafts. It is made of bamboo, wood, rattan bark, etc., and is mainly used to steam food. In the era of traditional use of floor stoves and iron pots, cage drawers were commonly used as cooking utensils in the folk. But what most people know very little is that the best bamboo drawers in the south need to be made through dozens of complicated processes. With the development of aluminum alloy and stainless steel cookware, bamboo and wooden cage drawers have gradually withdrawn from people's daily lives. But it was this small cage drawer that opened the market for Lin Guoshui to drift to Beijing.
In the early days of reform and opening up, Lin Guoshui left his hometown to come to Beijing, and with a keen sense of smell, he found that there was a big difference in the process of making cage drawers between the north and the south. Cage drawers in the north tend to be simple in craftsmanship, steaming steamed buns in bulky and rough wooden square drawers. However, the cage drawer he made is exquisite in shape, the drawer body is made of more than 10 layers of bamboo wood thin leather board superimposed, and can improve the steaming efficiency and increase the rosin aroma of the steamed bun. Such wonderful family handicrafts have laid a solid foundation for Lin Guoshui's development in Beijing.
With the production of cage drawers, Lin Guoshui began to think more deeply about the way to start a business. Of course, the wood-reading skills he learned since childhood were the first choice to open up new ideas, so the use of wood to make wood carvings and furniture works opened his entrepreneurial path. Since then, Lin Guoshui has opened his way to classical Chinese furniture, and has continued to strive for excellence, starting a career that he has loved all his life.
After establishing a foothold in Beijing, in 2005, Lin Guoshui built a production factory on 80 acres of land in the national wood processing zone of Xiuyu District, Putian City, his hometown, which led to the employment of craftsmen in his hometown and seriously excavated many endangered folk skills. He said: "I will not forget the land that gave birth to me and raised me, the economic development of Haixi has given me confidence, the Putian Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government have given me great support, and I think I should return to my hometown." With a love for his hometown and folk art, Lin Guoshui's belief in inheriting folk art and Chinese culture has become even firmer.
A museum was built in 20 years
Before interviewing Lin Guoshui, we first visited one of the branches of the Museum of Classical Furniture Art that he built.
Entering the hall of the branch hall, a traditional Mazu Temple comes into view. Mazu, the sea god of the southeast coastal region of China, is a belief of the local people. As early as the 1980s, the relevant United Nations agencies awarded Mazu the title of "Goddess of Peace". On September 30, 2009, the "Mazu Faith and Customs" was officially listed by UNESCO as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, becoming the first World Heritage Site of faith and customs in China and the common spiritual wealth of all mankind.
The power of faith is often unpredictably powerful, and it supports everyone to face the dark hour and find the light in the fog. It is precisely because of this belief that Lin Guoshui has been given a spirit of not accepting defeat, allowing him to achieve an unattainable dream in 20 years.
As early as 1980, Lin Guoshui walked into the Forbidden City for the first time. He was amazed by the magnificent architectural community and exquisite interior furniture works of the Forbidden City, at the same time, Lin Guoshui thought of the exquisite wood carving technology of his hometown, "The crafts and furniture of the Forbidden City can be displayed to the world, spreading the long history and culture of the Chinese nation, and the wood carving craft in my hometown is actually showing some of our local folk customs, but it has not spread." "So, an idea quietly sprouted in Lin Guoshui's mind." After I went to the Forbidden City in Beijing, I had already told myself in my heart that I was going to build a museum, and the idea was planted at that time. After that, I have been quietly preparing, and I have begun to gather the family's craftsmen together and plan this matter. "Collecting a large number of classical books, looking for some folk furniture works, flipping through recorded furniture styles... Lin Guoshui in the constant search for real craftsmanship at the same time, and actively began to study the production, especially the study of Ming and Qing furniture is more subtle, and strive to restore the style of classical furniture, and on this basis to carry out innovative research and development, combined with the real needs of modern people for classical furniture, let classical furniture into every family that loves it.
After nearly 20 years of accumulation, it has expanded from a small art museum to the Jiumulin's Classical Furniture Art Museum, which has a construction area of 16,000 square meters and was opened to the people of the whole country for free in 2017. Here, the types of logs, tenon structures, classic furniture samples of Classical Chinese Ming and Qing Dynasty furniture, and fine works of wood carving art are displayed here, integrating research, design, exhibition and exchange. It is worth mentioning that many of the classical furniture in the museum has been in place for more than 20 years and is still intact. "The classical furniture we make can basically be 'not shrunk, not stripped, not cracked'. Many classical furniture has won more than 200 awards such as national gold, silver and bronze awards. ”
At present, the museum has become a regular activity base for holding special lectures on traditional culture and exhibitions of classical furniture artworks, and is open to the public free of charge as a public welfare museum. In 2018, the museum also obtained the qualification of "Changping District Primary and Secondary School Students Comprehensive Quality Improvement Project Resource Unit". In 2019, the Home of The Revolutionary Party members of Changping District, built in the museum, was rated as the "National Excellent Party Member Home" by the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang. "The museum displays excellent classical furniture works of art. In fact, the process of understanding classical furniture is also a process of understanding traditional history and culture. This process has benefited me a lot. I believe that behind the inheritance of classical furniture is actually the inheritance of traditional culture, people can not forget the original, I am the descendant of craftsmen, this craft is passed on is my responsibility. Lin Guoshui said.
Q-Beijing Youth Weekly
A - Lin Guoshui
"Saving Lost Craftsmanship, Discovering Talents and Skills"
Q In your opinion, what characteristics does a piece of classical furniture need to be called a good furniture work? What are the evaluation criteria?
A I think that an excellent piece of classical furniture must be made by ancient methods, the so-called ancient method of production, that is, the most simple, the most original, the purest skills are retained, each process has some attention, can not be wrong. The most important thing is that the raw materials of this classical furniture must be pure raw materials, and they must be screened to be able to complete an excellent furniture work.
Q What type of consumers do you like and buy classical furniture at the moment?
A In fact, classical furniture has its unique audience, I think most people who like classical furniture, must be people who have a deep love and research on traditional Chinese culture, they are willing to create their surrounding environment into an atmosphere that reveals the atmosphere of traditional culture. Classical furniture can meet this demand of theirs. Exquisite classical furniture can create an immersive atmosphere while taking care of people's bodies.
Q What are the most favorite features of classical furniture among consumers?
A looks like a piece of classical furniture may be unremarkable, but in fact, every bend and curve of each piece (furniture) is exquisite, which can be said to have a high scientific and technological content. Just like the official hat chair (the official hat chair is named after its shape similar to the official hat of the ancient official, the backrest chair has both ends of the brain, the front end of the left and right armrests, the back plate is mostly "S" shaped, and it is made of a whole board. It must meet ergonomics, that is, it should meet at least three aspects of the human body: sit upright, sit comfortably, and sit healthy. There is also a circle chair (circle chair is a kind of circle back connected to the armrest, from high to low down a chair, round and graceful, full of strength and strength. The circle chair is one of the unique chair styles of the Chinese nation. When sitting, people can lean on the circle-shaped armrests, which is very comfortable and quite popular. The same is true, when used, it can make people's backs feel very relaxed, so that the human body reaches a balanced state. These furniture meets the needs of people's use, but also to meet everyone's love for classical furniture culture.
Q If you want to make classical furniture more loved by modern people, is it inevitable that you must innovate?
A Yes, that's certainly true. At the beginning, when we restored each piece of classical furniture, we continued to explore and try through various sources. For example, a waist plate has to be modified countless times, by adjusting the angle, curve, shape, etc., according to the different needs of women, men and people of different shapes. The same is true when innovating, but fortunately, we innovate according to the ancient law, and innovation in the details can improve a piece of furniture. Moreover, I found that many people now like simple and simple design, do not need a very complex structure, and find a best balance in minimalism.
Q What is the source of your sense of accomplishment in making classical furniture so far?
A I feel that there are still many sources of fulfillment. First of all, for more than 40 years in this industry, from the state of few folk heirs to the gradual development after the reform and opening up, more and more people have begun to like traditional culture and like to use classical furniture. There are many masters in the folk, and everyone has been studying through unremitting efforts. This environment is very good, under this, I also feel that the promotion of traditional culture is getting better and better. Secondly, I feel that in the rescue of lost craftsmanship, we must tap into talents and skills, and I have been cracking the mysteries of it. I enjoy that. And I'm very pleased to master the unique skill of cracking and shrinking wood.
Q In your heart, what kind of place is your hometown of Putian, Fujian? How has it affected you?
A I feel that my hometown is a place where people are brilliant, putian Xiuyu Port is a natural port in China, a national timber trade processing zone, and a distribution center for rare wood species in the world. Because Putian woodwork began in the Tang and Song dynasties, flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the ancestors were mostly wooden artists, building wooden temples, Buddha statues, carvings and ming and qing classical furniture to the world. We have been quietly passing on these craft technologies. That's what led me into this business.
Be a guardian of traditional skills
Q At present, the country has undergone rapid changes, how do you feel?
A I think that everyone's awareness of traditional Chinese culture is getting higher and higher. Because Chinese civilization has a deep historical foundation and cultural heritage, we need to constantly improve ourselves and constantly learn and progress in this vast sea of civilization. Moreover, inheriting and carrying forward this traditional culture is also a thing that every Chinese should continue to practice.
Q Say one thing that is closely related to your motherland in your memory and that impresses you the most.
A When Hong Kong and Macao were returned to the motherland, the wooden frame of the order granted to the two chief executives by the central government for the first time was made by my own hand. Combined with what I am engaged in, in the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 2019 and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China in 2021, I have shown the classic traditional furniture works in the museum to the people of the whole country and showed the charm of traditional classical furniture to more people. In fact, I have been studying the most classic techniques of ming and qing dynasty classical furniture, and I hope that this technology can be retained forever, and I feel that this is also a little contribution to cultural inheritance.
Q General Secretary Xi once said, we are all dreamers, how do you understand "dream chasing"?
A has been committed to the field in which he is engaged and constantly innovating.
Q In the process of chasing your dreams, what do you think motivates you? What made you successful?
A Persistence and love, as well as the tenacity to continue to delve deeper.
Q When you think you're successful, how do you feel the sense of honor and pride?
A I think that the sense of honor and pride is staged, these honors for me are just the beginning, I will always strive for perfection, the process to the extreme.
Q 2022 is coming soon, what blessings do you want to send to the motherland?
A I sincerely hope that the motherland will develop better and better, I warmly look forward to the early peaceful reunification of the motherland, and as a descendant of Mazu and a member of the Kuomintang Revolutionary Party, I will once again present my works when the great cause of the reunification of the motherland is completed. I myself will continue to be the guardian, disseminator and innovator of traditional skills.
Edited by Han Haha
Wen Wang Yajing
Character photography Xie Fei