Xinhua Village is a microcosm of Heqing's "silversmith village", which is the memory and feelings of generations of silversmiths on this land, showing the life of Heqing silversmiths under this specific profession, and is also a witness and epitome of history. This is the place where the silversmiths dream of their dreams, where their dreams set sail, this is their home, and it is their roots. Nowadays, the silverware industry developed around the silversmithing technique has become the main business of Xinhua Village. Because of the relationship between blood, kinship, help, geography and karma, the villages around Xinhua Village, such as Mutun, Banqiao, Luo Weiyi, and Dadeng, are also the main distribution areas of silver forging skills. With the development of the silverware industry, some craftsmen in Mutun and Banqiao also took advantage of the trend to change from the production of traditional iron production and living utensils to the processing and production of silverware forging tools.
Xinhua Village is the most representative "silversmith village" in Heqing, Xinhua Village includes three natural villages, Nanyi, Beiyi and Gangchang, and is an administrative village with Bai nationality as the main ethnic group. At present, there are 1,228 households in Xinhua Village, with a population of more than 6,000 people, of which nearly half of the families are engaged in the metal processing industry, and the main force in the industry is mainly young and middle-aged men. In this issue, through the field research and interview of curator Wang Xingxing, we will tell you the story of Heqing's "Silversmith Village".
"Silversmith Village" means: phoenix wings
"We have more than 400 households and more than 2,000 people in Nanyi. Coupled with Beiyi and Gangchang, almost every household in the entire Xinhua Village is making money. ”
"In the past, we called it Fengyi Township, and after the founding of New China, it was called Xinhua Village. Caohai Town used to be called a suburban bus station, but later changed to a suburban town. ”
"Xinhua Village is backed by Phoenix Mountain, in the past, the Black Dragon Pond was Beiyi, this side was Nanyi, it used to be called the North Wing, the South Wing, which is the meaning of the Phoenix Wings. ”
"We used to grow broad beans and wheat, and when the wheat was ripe in the summer, we planted rice and harvested it in the fall. ”
——According to Wang Xingxing's interview with Dong Shengchang (male, Bai nationality, born in 1950), in Xinhua Village on September 2, 2023.
新华村村収
"Silversmith Village" ancestral training: Tiangan can't starve craftsmen for three years
"Our Xinhua Village is so beautiful because of such good water. The water flows from the belly of the mountain, and it is very cold. Cold water is not very good for the development of food crops, so we have a small harvest here and not enough to eat. The ancestors of Xinhua Village are very wise and have created such a way for us to live, that is, the craftsmanship of small furnace craftsmen. ”
"In the past, there was a saying handed down by our ancestors that 'the heavens can't starve the craftsman for three years', so you must learn a craft. ”
——According to Wang Xingxing's interview with Cun Fabiao (male, Bai nationality, born in 1962), in Xinhua Village on September 3, 2023.
Nine Dragon Pot Set (Inch Hair Label Works)
Kowloon Teapot (Inch Hair Label Works)
At the age of 13, he carried his bags and went to another country
"When I was 13 years old (1983), I started walking with my aunt. I mostly traveled a lot before 1987. The production method handed down from this industry is to go door-to-door and go from village to village. At that time, I went to Xiangcheng County and Daocheng in Ganzi Prefecture, went to Muli, and then went to Xichang. In the second year, I went to Guizhou, to Anshun, Huaxi, Leishan, and Danzhai. At that time, it was all aimed at ethnic minority areas, because ethnic minorities used more silver. Later, he went to Duyun in Guizhou, Baise in Guangxi, and Maqu in Gansu. To go to Maqu, we went up from Chengdu, specifically from Jinchuan, to Zhuantang County, and then to Gannan Maqu. There are also Henan County and Zeku County in Huangnan Prefecture in Qinghai, where it was still snowing. Later, he also ran through Malipo and Maguan in Wenshan. ”
——According to Wang Xingxing's interview with Mu Binglin (male, Bai nationality, born in 1970), July 31, 2021 in Mutun.
Gilt vase (Mu Binglin's work)
Butter teapot (Mu Binglin's work)
The road is blue, and the wisps go in all directions
"The first time I went out, I was lucky, the local village party secretary, who was probably over 60 years old at the time, took us in to live in his house, nominally a place to live, but in fact it was a stable. So every time I tell people that I lived in a stable in the first year I went out, and slept in the stable for two months. Sometimes in places where there is no village in front of us and no shop in the back, we are in the wilderness, and we have also lived in field sheds. The field shed is the place where some local farmers live far away from the field, so they build a shed on the edge of the field, and they will live in it when they are busy. ”
——According to Wang Xingxing's interview with Cun Guangwei (male, Bai nationality, born in 1977), in Xinhua Village on August 1, 2021.
Barley wine jug (Cun Guangwei work)
Butter lamp (Cun Guangwei work)
In order to highlight the development of new roles and concepts in recent years, and to promote their accessibility, inclusiveness, diversity and sustainability, the Yunnan Provincial Museum has tried to openly solicit curators and exhibition proposals from the public, and seek more possibilities for museum exhibitions. The exhibition is divided into five parts: "Township, Travel, Integration, Return, Come", focusing on the silversmiths of Heqing in Dali, telling the story of them picking up their bags and going all over the world.
I go everywhere - the amusement life of the silversmith in Heqing
December 30, 2023 ~ February 29, 2024
The third temporary exhibition hall of Yunnan Provincial Museum
Materials provided by: Exhibition Department Written by: Wang Xingxing
Finishing: Chen Yan Photography: Wang Xingxing, Yang Chengshu
Editor: Chen Jinshan Proofreader: Yang Wenyue
Review: He Weiming, Ye Zhisheng