[News Page-Taiwan Straits Network]
The Lantern Festival is approaching, and a beautiful lantern has quietly appeared in the streets and alleys of Quanzhou, Fujian Province, a hometown of overseas Chinese, and the festive atmosphere has gradually become stronger. In the Hanyue Flower Lantern Studio located in the Beifeng Industrial Zone on the outskirts of the city, Fu Caoyi, a representative inheritor of Quanzhou's flower lantern making skills, is still busy with endless orders.
"Around the Spring Festival is the busiest day of the year, and these days often work overtime until the early hours of the morning." The paper knife in Fu Caoyi's hand is constantly moving, and the knife technique is skillful and delicate, "In the past two years, affected by the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the business is not optimistic, so we must seize this opportunity." ”
Fu Caoyi, a "craftsman" who makes flower lanterns in the studio. Photo by Wu Guanbiao
"The world is on the Yuan, the prosperity of the lamp and candle is not more than in Minzhong", the historical Quanzhou flower lantern, known at home and abroad for its unique paper engraving, needle punching technology and silk inlay technology, is a typical representative of the southern flower lantern. In 2006, "Quanzhou Flower Lantern" was selected as one of the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage.
In order to let more people experience the traditional festive atmosphere of the ancient city, this year's Lantern Quanzhou innovatively set up a mobile lantern exhibition, which was hung by the battery sightseeing car "Xiaobai" and drove past the World Heritage sites in the ancient city, bringing unique visual enjoyment to tourists. Many of the traditional flower lanterns on the sightseeing bus are from the hands of Fu Caoyi.
Since the age of 17, Fu Caoyi has been learning the skills of flower lanterns, paper engraving and prop making from Guo Guofu, prop designer of the Liyuan Theater Troupe in Fujian Province, for 26 years. After the death of the master, he took over the burden and began to pass on the skills of flower lantern making.
"At that time, I chose to do this line mainly because of my feelings, and I couldn't bear to let the craftsmanship left by the master be lost like this, and in order to continue to pass on the traditional culture of Quanzhou flower lanterns." Fu Caoyi said.
The flower lanterns made by Fu Caoyi are fresh and elegant. Photo by Wu Guanbiao
Fu Caoyi likes to think of himself as a "craftsman". He does not hide the dilemmas faced by current craftsmen: long working hours, low returns, small markets, hard learning, lack of capital, lack of operation... Many craftsmen have to choose to change careers.
"Subject to the market, now I have to be not only a 'craftsman', but also a 'businessman' to support my family." In order to "survive" the traditional lantern making process, Fu Caoyi has been thinking about and practicing how to combine it with the concept of modern life for more than ten years to make it an ornament and a daily necessity. "This is the self-help of craftsmen, and it is also a direction of development in the future."
Along this line of thought, Fu Caoyi founded the Hanyue Flower Lantern Studio to promote the flower lantern craft and products to temples, cultural and creative product stores, etc. Among them, the "aesthetic life" series of lamps and lanterns is his more proud work, integrated into a variety of flower lamp production techniques, and through material innovation, technical innovation, decoration, lighting functions are complete, antique, elegant and natural.
The pattern of the boneless needle piercing flower lamp is made of steel needles, and the light source penetrates from the pinhole, which looks exquisite and transparent. Photo by Wu Guanbiao
"Innovation does not happen overnight, and not every innovation can be recognized by the public. Therefore, in the face of the dilemma of survival and innovation, I can only work hard, work hard, and work harder. Next, Fu Caoyi is ready to push the flower lantern studio to online platforms such as Douyin.
In recent years, the simple DIY flower lantern experience is also a direction for Fu Caoyi to promote "Quanzhou Flower Lantern". These DIY lanterns often contain traditional symbols such as lotus pattern, bat pattern, auspicious cloud pattern, swallowtail ridge, etc., and use boneless, needle punching, paper engraving and other techniques to bring a deeper impression to the experiencer.
"Many of the people who experienced it were children." In Fu Caoyi's eyes, let the children participate in the experience of understanding the flower lanterns and making the flower lanterns, so that the flower lanterns can be integrated into the deepest part of their memory, "This is also a way of inheritance and sowing." (Wu Guanbiao)
Source: China News Network