Tao Yan, one of the four famous inkstones in China, is produced in Tao Yan Town, Zhuoni County, Gannan Prefecture, Gansu Province, since the Tang Dynasty, it has become the treasure of the royal family and wealthy businessmen because of its green and blue, elegant and rare treasures. Who would have thought that this ancient art form, which has been inherited for more than 1,300 years, has crossed thousands of miles from Zhuoni County, where it originated, and ushered in a new change. Guazhou, a small county town in Jiuquan, Gansu Province, has embraced and rooted this intangible cultural heritage with its broad mind and keen cultural sense, so that this ancient art form can not only continue to be inherited, but also radiate new vitality and vitality.
Tao inkstone, the full name of "Tao River green stone inkstone", is an inkstone carved from the fine mud slab shale of water slab metamorphosis in the Devonian system naturally formed in the Paleozoic Devonian in the area of Lama Cliff on the north bank of Tao River, Tao Yan Town, Zhuoni County, Gansu Province. Tao Yan stone is delicate and solid, there are varieties such as "duck head green", "willow leaf green", "pelican blood", especially with yellow fat is more precious, so there is "Tao Yan is expensive, yellow fat with green waves" praise, green contains stripes, forming the clouds and clouds that change endlessly, wonderful; if the grinding ink is stored in the inkstone, it does not dry up after the month, and does not deteriorate, it can be called magical. The great calligrapher of the Song Dynasty Mi Fu wrote the "History of the Inkstone" cloud: "Tongyuan Army is looking for stone inkstone, the stone is astringent and can sharpen the blade, green as the court clothes, and the deep one is also lovely."
Tao inkstone, since the Tang Dynasty, with its stone color turquoise, quality firm and fine, crystal like jade, buckle silent, can be out of the water droplets, ink fast without damage, ink storage for a long time without drying up the characteristics, become the favorite of literati and ink writers, reputation at home and abroad, and Guangdong Duan inkstone, Anhui Yan Yan, Henan Chengni Yan is equally famous, and called China's four famous inkstones. Literati, scholars, calligraphers and painters of the past dynasties were amazed by Tao Yan's inscription poems. Lu You has a poem: "The jade scraps are famous for the brocade, and the wind and the strange stones come out of Lintao." Huang Tingjian praised and said: "I have heard the green head of the Minshi duck for a long time, and you can grind the Guixi Longwen knife." Zhao Puchu inscribed the poem: "The wind ripples are divided into Taozhou green, which is as strong as bronze and as smooth as jade." ”
Walking into the Taoyan Industry Integration Development Center showroom located in Taoyan Village, Guangzhi Tibetan Township, Guazhou County, "Dragon and Phoenix Chengxiang", "Dunhuang Flying Sky", "Xuanzang Learning from the Scriptures", "Zhang Zhi Waving", "Yulin Cave" and other themes of Tao Yan are full of display cabinets, one by one large and small carved Tao Yan has a unique shape, the pattern is layered and scattered; In the Taoyan carving workshop on the other side, the villagers are carving, polishing and polishing the Taoyan under the guidance of Du Ruitian, the representative inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Taoyan skills. It has become a training base for high-skilled talents in Tibetan townships to promote the inheritance of local talents, lead the development of industries, and drive the masses to get rich, as well as the main position for the display of Taoyan culture and the development of Taoyan industry.
"There is an integrated development center in the township, and we have a venue for training and carving, and the craftsmen of the whole village can learn from each other and Xi from each other. Gansu Province Arts and Crafts Master, Jiuquan City intangible cultural heritage Tao Yan representative inheritor Du Ruitian said.
"Encourage the masses to actively inherit the Tao Yan skills, develop the Tao Yan industry, and strive for funds to establish an integrated development center, from the display, carving to experience, and the cultivation of talents, which has laid a very good foundation for the development of the industry. Zhou Wenjian, Secretary of the Party Committee of Guangzhi Tibetan Township, Guazhou County, said.
For Guazhou County, Taoyan is a "relocated industry", which comes from the implementation of the resettlement project in the Jiudianxia reservoir area. In 2008, 9,193 people from 1,936 households and 9,193 people from 23 administrative villages in 3 counties and 7 townships in the Jiudianxia reservoir area were relocated to Guangzhi Tibetan Township in Guazhou County. Among them, more than 1,000 people with Taoyan carving skills came to Guazhou with Taoyan rough stones, which became an important carrier for them to continue the culture of their hometown in their new homeland.
"At that time, one household and one car, some people still pulled up the inkstone stone, and the large and small stones in my house were put at the bottom, and then pulled some simple daily necessities. After all the stones were pulled, the inkstone began to be carved. Du Ruitian said.
Guazhou is a place with a profound cultural heritage. Since ancient times, it has been an important merchant town on the Silk Road, a place where multi-ethnic cultures meet, and has outstanding inclusiveness in the openness, exchange and integration of various cultures. As an important part of traditional Chinese culture, Taoyan culture should be better inherited and developed here.
In recent years, Guazhou County has taken the sense of community of the Chinese nation as the main line, adhered to cultural guidance, strengthened cultural inheritance, and strived to promote the protection and inheritance of Taoyan culture and folk art. With the increasing popularity of Guazhou Tao Yan, the works produced by the villagers have won many awards in the Tao Yan exhibition and participation in the invited Tao Yan Exhibition, and the Tao Yan industry has become a characteristic business card of the Tibetan township, and has also become a "cornucopia" for the masses to make a fortune.
Guazhou County also deeply excavated and cultivated Taoyan carving talents, with a wide range of Tibetan township talent training base and famous teacher studio as the carrier, cultivating "ingenuity", improving "craftsman ability", casting "craftsman soul", led by Du Ruitian, Ma Taixue and a group of intangible cultural heritage inheritors to establish Taoyan Association, to provide professional guidance for the carving of inkstones, stimulate innovation and creativity, promote the continuous innovation and development of skills, so that Taoyan carving skills are truly transformed into tools and paths to promote farmers' income and wealth.
"In 2020, the Guazhou County Taoyan Association was established, and with the support of the policy, the Taoyan Industrial Park was built in Taoyan Village, and the villagers carved a piece and sold it uniformly. Ma Taixue, general manager of Gansu Silk Road Taoyan Cultural Industry Co., Ltd. and a distinguished teacher of Guazhou Metallurgical Secondary Vocational School, said.
Policy support, capital investment, and the establishment of industry associations and cooperative organizations have allowed the Taoyan industry to take firm root in Guazhou. On this new cultural soil, the green and blue Tao Yan stone has drawn new inspiration, the carvers take the "Belt and Road" as the theme, with Dunhuang murals and Guazhou Zhangzhi, Xuanzang, grottoes, border passes and other elements as the theme, the Silk Road culture and Tao Yan production skills two unique excellent traditional culture fusion, to create a rich regional characteristics of cultural tourism and art products. Here, this ancient art form has not only been inherited, but also bloomed into the flower of the new era, becoming a unique cultural symbol of Guazhou.
In 2020, Guangzhi Tibetan Township, Guazhou County, with the development model of "branch + cooperative + association + party member + farmer", established Taoyan Village Joint Stock Economic Cooperative, established a cooperative relationship with Taoyan Association, and built Taoyan carving room, Taoyan exhibition hall, e-commerce sales center and cutting workshop and other studios, with a total production of more than 800 Taoyan works and sales revenue of more than 60 yuan. Make full use of the mature sales channels of the Taoyan Association, and sell through online platforms such as calligraphy and painting, the home of the China Writers Association, and Wanda Cultural Tourism Online, forming an industrial chain of "carving, commenting, and selling", so that these collections that are "raised in the depths of the people" have embarked on the "fast lane" of Taoyan culture and carving skills through new technologies and new media such as short videos and graphic information.
"Tao Yan has been very well-known in the market, we have integrated the Tao Yan industry with Dunhuang elements, and the integration of Guazhou culture, which has also played a positive role in the development of Tao Yan industry in Guazhou. Zhou Wenjian said.
Focus on promoting the long-term and healthy development of the Taoyan industry, so that the skills are endless, and the talents are continuous. Guazhou County highlights the hierarchical cultivation, adopts the echelon training model of "Arts and Crafts Masters-Rural Craftsmen-Cultivation Objects", carries out the teaching guidance of "Rural Craftsmen", and reserves rural practical talents for the Taoyan industry. Deepen the integration of industry and education, and introduce the "Silk Road Cultural Intangible Cultural Heritage Project on Taoyan" into the classroom of Guazhou Metallurgical Secondary Vocational School through school-enterprise cooperation, so that Taoyan intangible cultural heritage production skills and vocational education can be effectively combined, and a new model of campus inheritance of intangible cultural heritage has been explored, so as to promote more local young people in Guazhou to participate in the development of Taoyan industry. Carry out the activity of "big hands holding small hands, inheriting Taoyan intangible cultural heritage", so that primary and secondary school students can learn and feel the rich cultural and spiritual connotation contained in Taoyan carving at close Xi, stimulate the enthusiasm for inheriting excellent national culture, and let Taoyan culture continue to be inherited and carried forward.
"We have signed a contract with Guazhou Metallurgical Technical College in the form of school-enterprise cooperation, and are responsible for training 20 students every year to pass on the Taoyan craftsmanship and improve the problem of the high aging of Taoyan craftsmen at this stage. Matthew doctrine.
"I hope that on the road in the future, we can add the elements that our generation likes to Tao Yan carving, and through our efforts, we will carry forward the Tao Yan carving skills. A student of Guazhou Metallurgical Secondary Vocational School said.
"We build a research base, let more people know Taoyan through research activities, enter Taoyan, enhance the popularity of Taoyan in Guazhou, and let the Taoyan industry continue to grow and develop. Zhou Wenjian said.
From "green inspiration" to "cultural symbol", Taoyan has experienced rebirth and transformation in Guazhou. Its story tells the blend of tradition and innovation, and witnesses the rebirth and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage. (Reporter: Ma Baiyu, Zhao Xiaolong, Zhang Qi, Xu Lei, Zheng Xiaolong, Ye Wenrui, Zhang Ruiyu)