Tibetan calligraphy works by Dawa Tsering.
Tibetan calligraphy works by Dawa Tsering.
Under the dancing tip of the pen, the rhythm of ancient civilization flows, and every stroke and stroke seems to tell the story of a thousand years, showing the crystallization of wisdom and art. As a unique traditional culture of the Tibetan nation, Tibetan calligraphy is also a cultural treasure of the Chinese nation, with a long history and great artistic charm. On April 30, the "National Tibetan Calligraphy Day" came as scheduled. Recently, the reporter interviewed Dawa Tsering, vice chairman of the Lhasa Calligraphers Association, to explore the extraordinary beauty of Tibetan calligraphy.
【System】
The most complete Nichipai system was included in the national intangible cultural heritage expansion project
In Tibet, many people have Tibetan calligraphy in their childhood memories.
Tibetan calligraphy is an important part of Tibetan culture and art, in the 7th century, during the period of Songtsen Gampo in Tibet, the minister Tunmi Sambuza created a perfect current Tibetan script on the basis of the original script and Tibetan culture. In the middle of the 17th century, the Tibetan script became more and more standardized, and strict regulations were formulated for the upper and lower scripts, parallel scripts, and folk letters in terms of calligraphy style and writing techniques, which promoted the development of various calligraphy arts.
The angular Nichi calligraphy system was the most complete, and it was the first of the eight major block calligraphy schools in Tibet, and became the official standard script of the Tibetan local government at that time. It is named so because the Nichi sect originated in Nimu County on the north bank of the middle reaches of the Brahmaputra River, which is the hometown of the founder of Tibetan writing and Tibetan incense culture, Tunmi Sambuza, known as the "hometown of the originator of Tibetan language" and "the source of Tibetan incense culture", and is also known as the "hometown of craftsmen".
In 2008, Tibetan calligraphy was approved by the State Council to be included in the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists, and in 2014, Nichipai calligraphy was included in the fourth batch of national intangible cultural heritage list expansion projects.
"National Tibetan Calligraphy Day" is a festival established to inherit and carry forward the culture of Tibetan calligraphy, which is held on April 30 every year, 30 represents 30 consonant letters in Tibetan, and 4 represents 4 vowel symbols. The establishment of the National Tibetan Calligraphy Day originated from the first National Symposium on Tibetan Calligraphy held in Xining in April 2017. April 30 was chosen as the "National Tibetan Calligraphy Day" by democratic vote to commemorate the long history and profound cultural connotation of Tibetan calligraphy.
【Inheritance】
Retired for nearly ten years, he selflessly dedicates his time to Tibetan calligraphy lovers
Dawa Tsering is the vice chairman of the Lhasa Calligraphers Association and the deputy head of the Lhasa Tibet Workstation of the China Calligraphy News. Before his retirement, he was a professor of Tibetan at Lhasa Normal College, where he published Tibetan textbooks such as "The Key to Easy Understanding of Tibetan Grammar", "Thirty-five Types of Example Sentences for Meaning Modification", and "Answers to Tibetan Basics and Common Knowledge".
"I think calligraphy is a beautiful art, it has a spirit and a soul. Dawa Tsering said straight to the point. Many years ago, Dawa Tsering had just become a young teacher, and he was very worried that his handwriting on the board would not attract the attention of his students, so he studied and practiced Tibetan calligraphy diligently. Unexpectedly, it was this humble decision that made him fall in love with calligraphy for the rest of his life.
As the saying goes, it's hard to get started. In the process of learning calligraphy, Dawa Tsering preferred the Ugini script and cursive script. To master the skill of calligraphy, you have to work hard, and copying is an indispensable part of learning calligraphy. Dawa Tsering carefully observed the template written by the teacher and did not write for a long time. "When I don't fully understand the characteristics of a character, I don't write easily. Dawa Tsering said that when he first learned the Tibetan alphabet, he often had to study the Tibetan alphabet for more than 10 days.
Dawa Tsering studied with Tashi Phuntsok and Solang Tashi, farmers from Nimu County. Later, he taught calligraphy skills to the Tibetan calligraphy enthusiasts around him. Nearly 10 years after his retirement, he has been volunteering to tutor Tibetan calligraphy enthusiasts who come to study, guiding them to make up for their shortcomings in writing online and offline. These students include graduate students, high school teachers, university lecturers, and ordinary professionals. Regardless of his status, Dawa Tsering treats everyone equally and teaches what he has learned. At this time, he is like a bridge, becoming a "transmitter" between teachers and students.
"As a lover of Tibetan calligraphy, I also have the obligation to pass on and carry it forward. Do not forget the original intention, do your best, carry out more Tibetan calligraphy teaching, and cultivate more successor talents. Dawa Tsering said that in the next step, he wants to change the teaching and training objects to the public, further promote the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage, and let more people study Tibetan calligraphy and experience the beauty of traditional Tibetan calligraphy.
[Persistence]
Because of calligraphy, she studied under Dawa Tsering and embarked on the road of inheritance
A Tibetan language teacher, he won the respect of his students at Lhasa No. 2 Middle School for his profound knowledge and unique charm. She is one of the many outstanding students of Teacher Dawa Tsering. Ciyang recalled: "I formed an indissoluble bond with Dawa Tsering because of calligraphy, and we often exchanged and studied and discussed the mysteries of calligraphy together. She firmly believes that Tibetan calligraphy is not only an art, but also a way of self-cultivation, which embodies the wisdom and treasures of the Chinese nation and inherits the cultural essence of thousands of years.
Four years ago, by chance, he had the privilege of learning Tibetan calligraphy with Dawa Tsering. Due to her busy work and life, her studies can only be carried out in her spare time. Under the careful guidance of Dawa Tsering, Ciyang began to formally contact, understand and study the Nichi body in depth. Through unremitting efforts and accumulation, she has mastered the basic skills of the book. Teacher Dawa Tsering has always maintained a high degree of conscientiousness and responsibility, and occasionally assigns homework, so that Ciyang can quickly improve his calligraphy skills. During her daily studies, Dawa Tsering patiently answered Ciyang's questions through videos, and constantly encouraged her to continue to work hard and delve deeper into the Nichi body.
Today, Jiyang is able to complete relatively simple works on his own. In April of this year, she tried to participate in calligraphy competitions at different levels, and all the entries were based on the Nichi script, which she is good at. Teacher Dawa Tsering was full of praise for Ciyang's performance: "Among all the students, Ciyang is undoubtedly the hardest working one. She will practice it five times when others practice it once, and her enthusiasm and dedication to calligraphy are gratifying. In the eyes of Dawa Tsering, the diligence and talent of Tsering will surely help her to go further and further on the path of Tibetan calligraphy.
[Tools]
Beginners in Tibetan It is recommended to practice calligraphy on the "wall star".
Tibetan calligraphy is written with a hard pen, using bone, wood, and bamboo as raw materials, sharpening the tip of the pen, and then dipping it in ink to write. This pen is of different lengths, and the end is obliquely cut into a tongue, and a slit is cut in the middle of the tongue to run straight through the nib, which acts as a channel for ink to infiltrate, increasing the elasticity and softness of the nib. When writing, the thumb and index finger should hold the pen, the middle finger should be properly retracted, and the palm should leave room for an egg.
Gao Yanhong, chairman of the Lhasa Calligraphers Association, introduced that Tibetan calligraphy fonts are mainly divided into two categories: Wujian and Wumei, and there are many types under them. Modern Tibetan has 30 consonant letters, 4 vowel symbols, and 5 reverse letters and 5 aspirated letters for spelling foreign words. The Tibetan writing structure is also very particular: with the base characters as the center, the writing is carried out in the order of adding the base characters first, after, and after the base characters.
Phuntsok Deji has been selling Tibetan calligraphy and writing tools in Lhasa for eight years and has many regular customers. In recent years, she said, more and more young people have been buying writing instruments, and business is good. So, how can beginners practice Tibetan calligraphy? Phuntsok Deji recommends the "Wall Star". The "Wall Star" is a wooden rectangular black calligraphy board on which Tibetan beginners can draw lines with white chalk according to their needs for their own writing of the font. "People who practice calligraphy on the 'wall star' have higher requirements for the posture and strength of the pen. Even if the Tibetan script is no longer written for a long time, the font will remain regular and beautiful. Phuntsok Deji said.
【Conclusion】
The baptism of 5,000 years, the accumulation of emotions for 5,000 years, the condensation of wisdom for 5,000 years, and the brilliant Chinese culture are not only an ancient charm that cannot be separated, but also a heavy historical inheritance. Today, Tibetan calligraphy has become a shining treasure on the plateau, giving Tibetan culture a unique charm.
Source: China Tibet News Network