In this hidden palace, there is a mysterious art of watch restoration that has lasted for hundreds of years! In this era of rapid digital development, why is this ancient craft still alive and well?
In the heart of Beijing, the Palace Museum lies quietly in the center of the city, and every brick and tile is precipitated with the weight of history. And in the depths of this history, there is a group of people who silently guard an almost forgotten skill - watch restoration. This is not a simple technique, but a craft that is almost equivalent to art. Qi Haonan and his master Wang Jin are the representatives of this skill.
Once, after the release of the documentary "I Repair Cultural Relics in the Forbidden City" in 2016, which moved countless people, people really began to pay attention to this niche industry. In the film, Master Wang Jin and his apprentice Qi Haonan meticulously restore ancient clocks and watches in the Forbidden City Clock Restoration Studio. These clocks are not only the keepers of time, but also the culmination of royal art.
The clocks in the Forbidden City vary, some richly decorated, some mechanically complex. Not only can they tell the time, but they also have multiple functions such as music and performance, which require extremely high technology to maintain their original appearance and function. Qi Haonan once said that every time a clock is restored, it is like a dialogue with history. His most memorable experience was the French windmill barometer clock, which was restored independently for the first time, and it was a unique sense of accomplishment, watching the clock come back to life, as if time was passing in his hands.
The inheritance of this craft is also very strict. Qi Haonan himself has gradually grown from an impatient young man to a watch restorer who can calmly face every detail. He said that repairing watches is not only a technical job, but also a process of cultivating the mind. The disassembly and assembly of each part requires great patience and precision, and the slightest carelessness may cause irreversible damage to precious cultural relics.
Today, Qi Haonan has posted nearly 800 videos on Douyin, dedicated to introducing this ancient craft to more people. He hopes that through his own efforts, more people can understand and fall in love with this skill, so that this skill can be better inherited and developed.
The road has not been easy. Qi Haonan also felt tired after seven or eight years of work and wanted to give up. But Master Wang Jin's words reinvigorated him: "Our craft is a bridge between the past and the future, and every time a clock is repaired, it is a respect for history." So Qi Haonan persevered, he not only became more and more sophisticated in technology, but also sublimated spiritually.
For Qi Haonan, the daily restoration work is no longer just a duty, but also a mission. He knows that every clock is a witness of an era, they carry the weight of history, witness the change of dynasties and the vicissitudes of history. These timepieces are not just mechanisms, they are works of art, the result of the wisdom and skill of the craftsmen.
His Douyin videos are not only popular science, but also a kind of cultural communication. Through the video, people who are thousands of miles away can get a glimpse of the mysteries in the depths of the Forbidden City and feel those quiet historical years. As Qi Haonan said, "They have the right to see these beautiful works of art and understand the extraordinary charm of this craft." ”
And this heritage doesn't just stop at the skills. In 2018, Qi Haonan himself began to accept apprentices. He knew that if this skill was not passed on, it would eventually disappear over time. He treats his apprentices as if they were his own children, hoping that they will not only inherit this skill, but also continue to pass on this responsibility and mission.
In this era of rapid change, although digital technology has brought great convenience to our lives, it has also put many traditional skills at risk of being lost. The restoration of clocks and watches in the Forbidden City is not only a technical inheritance, but also a continuation of culture and history. Every restoration is a profound dialogue with history, and every teaching is an expectation for the future.
Qi Haonan and his apprentices are like the guardians of time, and they carefully maintain these witnesses of history with their own hands. In the process, not only are the clocks reborn, but their hearts are also purified and uplifted. It is a difficult but glorious road, and every step is steadfast and firm.
The restoration of clocks and watches in the Forbidden City is not only the preservation of an old skill, but also a manifestation of cultural self-confidence. In the context of this digital era, Qi Haonan and his apprentices protect this precious cultural heritage with ingenuity. They are not only the restorers of clocks and watches, but also the inheritors of history and the guardians of culture. Their stories are the best illustration of how tradition and modernity coexist together, and let us understand that no matter how the times change, those things that are worthy of our cherishing and inheritance will never go out of style.