Text/Yangcheng Evening News all-media reporter Zhao Yingguang Intern Zheng Jiamin Zu Ying
(Video courtesy of Chaozhou Raoping County Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau)
When the traditional porcelain inlay and ash-lined process meets the new "top stream", "ice pier" and "snow melting", what kind of chemical reaction will occur? At a time when a "pier" is difficult to find, Cai Binglie, a traditional craftsman from Raoping County, Chaozhou City, used the traditional porcelain inlay and ash carving techniques to make his own mascots "Ice Pier" and "Snow Rongrong" to cheer for the Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Cai Binglie and his homemade Winter Olympic mascot (courtesy of the interviewee)
Talking about the original intention of making self-made "ice piers" and "snow rongrong", Cai Binglie, who is over sixty years old, suddenly opened the conversation box. "I saw on the Internet that 'ice piers' and 'snow melting' were very popular, but I couldn't buy them everywhere, and when I thought I had this craft, I wanted to use traditional skills to cheer for our athletes." Cai Binglie told reporters that he also asked someone to help buy "ice piers", but he could not buy them, so he had the idea of self-made, and the "ice piers" he made used the porcelain inlay process, and the "snow rongrong" used the ash kiln process. Cai Binglie stressed to reporters that the purpose of making "ice piers" and "snow rongrong" is only to promote Rao Ping's intangible cultural heritage skills and cheer for the Beijing Winter Olympics, and the work is not used for sale or any other commercial purposes.
Work photo of Cai Binglie (photo provided by the interviewee)
Cai Binglie introduced to the Yangcheng Evening News reporter that he has been engaged in the process of ash and inlay porcelain for more than 40 years, and it took three days before and after the completion of these two works, and the production process was not smooth. "The first time there was a problem with the proportions of the finished product, so the reprint drawings were made to scale, and the final product was perfect."
Since inlaid porcelain used to appear as "art on the roof", many young people do not even know much about this traditional handicraft, after the use of inlaid porcelain craft to make the Winter Olympic mascot "fire", Cai Binglie also has more of his own thinking on how to pass on the traditional handicraft of inlaid porcelain.
Cai Binglie believes that if traditional handicrafts can add more cultural and creative elements and design elements, they may be more attractive to young people and broaden the larger market. For young people who are interested in understanding the traditional craft, Cai Binglie said that interest is the first, followed by "5 resistance 2 need 1 will", "to be able to withstand cold, heat, hunger, resistance, resistance to scolding, but also need to have a little art skills, while high understanding, and finally have perseverance and courage to learn this traditional handicraft and complete." ”
Source | Yangcheng Evening News Yangcheng Pie
Editor-in-charge | Churini