On the morning of January 23, the listing ceremony of rongchang pottery cultural innovation research and artistic creation demonstration base and Jifen kiln was held at No. 151 Anfu Taobao Ancient Street in Rongchang (formerly "Anfu Exhibition and Sales Department of Rongchang Pottery Factory in Jiangjin Area"), and representative inheritors of Chongqing University, Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts, Chongqing Technology and Business University and many national intangible cultural heritage projects "Rongchang Pottery" attended the listing ceremony.
The scene of the listing ceremony (Photo by Cao Yidan, Yangguang Network)
It is reported that Rongchang Pottery Factory was established in the mid-1950s of the last century, and the factory site is located in Rongchang Anfu Yakou Village No. 1 Society. On the lintel of No. 151 Taobao Ancient Street, there is still a signboard of historical significance - the Anfu Exhibition Department of Rongchang Pottery Factory in Jiangjin District. According to the old craftsmen of Rongchang pottery who are still alive, at that time, Rongchang Pottery Factory produced both daily pottery and packaging pottery and craft pottery. At its peak, Rongchang Pottery Factory had more than 800 workers. In 1964, Rongchang kimchi altar began to be exported abroad as a packaged pottery, with the largest export of 320,000 pieces a year. In 1979, the Sichuan Provincial Economic Commission awarded the kimchi altar of Rongchang Pottery Factory the title of high-quality product. In 1982, the No. 5 kimchi altar of Rongchang Pottery Factory won the Sichuan Provincial Packaging Use Award. In 1983, Rongchang carved kimchi altar won the China International Tourism Association Tourism Souvenir Appraisal Excellence Award. In June 1987, the "kimchi altar" of Rongchang Pottery Factory was rated as "excellent product" in the national ceramic product quality evaluation, and in December, it was named the title of national light industry quality product named by the Ministry of Light Industry.
Historically, Anfu was famous for its pottery production. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the early years of the Republic of China, Anfu was also known as the magnetic kiln, at that time, Anfu pottery production was very prosperous, the trade industry was prosperous, and at most there were more than 100 pottery factories.
Anfu Old Street (Photo by Cao Yidan, CCTV)
The heyday of the 1970s and 1980s has also become a cloud of smoke, the overall construction of the old street and the facilities of the road are relatively old, the living environment of residents is also poor, and the traditional industries are withering. In 2015, the government spent money to start repairs, initiated by the Chongqing Xia Xing Rongchang Pottery Cultural Research Institute for the transformation and restoration of Taobao Ancient Street No. 151 and the surrounding old buildings, it follows the way of "not demolishing, not building, marketization, gradual, micro-transformation", gradually restoring, activating and cultivating, through excavating the practicality of old buildings and old blocks in the contemporary era, optimizing and improving the functions of commercial and cultural tourism, so that the ancient streets are old and the charm is always there.
After several months, the original "Anfu Exhibition Department of Rongchang Pottery Factory in Dangjin District" located at No. 151 Taobao Ancient Street and the surrounding old buildings were finally renovated, and on this basis, a set of valuable experiences on the "Road to Revitalization and Protection of Ancient Streets" was summarized.
Rong Changtao (Photo by Cao Yidan, Yangguang Network)
According to Ji Junchun, head of the Chongqing Xia Xing Rongchang Pottery Cultural Research Institute, "The revitalization of the ancient street is not just a simple transformation and decoration. The revitalization and protection of the ancient street must be built on the basis of industry. "Therefore, only the industry can stimulate the vitality of the ancient street itself and make it have its own hematopoietic function."
So, how is the layout of the industry of the former "Kangjin Area Rongchang Pottery Factory Anfu Exhibition and Sales Department" after the revitalization and protection? Ji Junchun, head of Chongqing Xia Xing RongChang Pottery Cultural Research Institute, said that in terms of industrial layout, we follow the principle of "two please come in". The first "please come in" is to relocate the most representative kiln of Rongchang pottery, "Jifen Kiln", and establish the Jifen Kiln Studio. There are many new kilns in Rongchang Anfu, but the kilns that can best represent Rongchang pottery are xiaxing kilns. Master Liu Jifen has been working in Xia Xing Kiln in his early years, and it can be said that Liu Jifen is a master who came out of Xia Xing Kiln. Liu Jifen was born in a pottery family and has been passed down through five generations of non-genetic inheritance. Therefore, the "Giffin Kiln" founded by Master Liu Jifen can be regarded as a model of rongchang pottery traditional culture.
The second "please come in" is to invite teachers and students from the School of Arts of Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing University and Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts, as well as porcelain and pottery masters from Jingdezhen, Yixing, Jiangsu, Jianshui, Yunnan and Qinzhou, Guangxi, and establish a "Rongchang Pottery Cultural Innovation Research and Artistic Creation Demonstration Base". Compared with the craftsmen in the Rongchang Anfu Pottery Production Area, teachers and students of colleges and universities have solid and profound theoretical knowledge and high aesthetic literacy, and they are more able to "innovate" in the creation of pottery. The masters of Jingdezhen, Yixing, Jiangsu, Jianshui in Yunnan and Qinzhou in Guangxi represent the highest level of local porcelain and pottery, and they can learn their advanced concepts and technologies by introducing them, which has a multiplier effect on the development of Rongchang pottery.
Finally, Ji Junchun, head of the Chongqing Xia xing Rongchang Pottery Cultural Research Institute, said when looking forward to the future of Rongchang Pottery that after completing the "two please come in", Rongchang Tao will also "go out". "In the future, Rongchang Pottery will carry out publicity and cooperation activities in the twin cities of Sichuan and Chongqing, in the north, In Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, and even in various ceramic production areas across the country." The development of Rongchang Pottery will be market-oriented, and Chongqing Xia xing Rongchang Pottery Cultural Research Institute will, as always, contribute to the revitalization of Anfu Old Street and the development of Rongchang Pottery. Rongchang pottery will surely become the future star of China's ceramic industry, and Rongchang pottery will also become the next outlet of China's ceramic industry. ”