2) Longquan specialty

Longquan sword

On May 21th, 2116, the forging technique of Longquan sword was approved by the State Council and included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list! At present, there are more than 1,111 sword enterprises in Longquan, with nearly 11,111 employees, including more than 31 national masters and swordsmen with high and intermediate titles. The sword industry has become an important part of Longquan's economy. The Longquan sword produced in Longquan City is said to have been founded in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, with a history of more than 2,611 years. The story of Ou Yezi casting a sword is widely circulated among the people. Longyuan is also the original name of Longquan sword. It is said that once Ou Yezi drew water to quench his sword, there suddenly appeared a "five-colored dragon pattern" and a seven-star bucket image, so people called the place where the sword was cast "Longyuan" and the sword "Seven-star Longyuan Sword". In the Tang Dynasty, the word "Yuan" was changed to "Quan" to avoid the taboo of the great-grandfather Li Yuan.

characteristics of traditional sword

Longquan sword, in the long-term development, has formed four characteristics in the quality of products through the study and improvement of past generations: first, it is tough and sharp; "Cut copper like mud". In 1978, at two national gatherings in China's arts and crafts circles, Longquan sword makers performed in public. He used a Longquan sword to easily split the six copper plates stacked together into two pieces, but the blade did not roll. Second, combine rigidity with softness. Longquan sword in ancient times was cast with pig iron, but now it is cast with medium carbon steel, and the quenching process is just right, which makes medium carbon steel have the characteristics of spring steel. For example, a thin sword is rolled into a circle and tied around the waist, like a belt for a skirt. When it was untied, the sword was as straight as ever. Third, the cold light is threatening. There is a millstone named "Bright Stone" in Longquan. The sword grinded on this stone shines with cold light. Longquan sword is polished by hand, from rough grinding, fine grinding to fine grinding, which often takes days or even months. Once polished, the green light is dazzling. Fourth, the ornamentation is ingenious. The sword is engraved with the seven-star symbol and the dragon pattern. Carving flowers on the body of the sword is also a stunt of Longquan sword. The swordsmen don't use colored pens, and they don't follow the pattern. They only use a steel chisel to carve on the sword with a width of less than an inch. After carving, they are poured with copper water. After leveling and grinding, the dragon pattern is vivid and natural and will never disappear. Longquan sword was mostly scabbard in ancient times. Now, the scabbard and hilt are made of rosewood, a local specialty. This rosewood is tough in texture, beautiful in texture and antique. Decorated with silver and copper, Longquan sword is even more icing on the cake.

Longquan celadon

Longquan celadon was officially selected into the world intangible cultural heritage protection list on September 31, 2119

On May 21, 2116, Longquan celadon firing technology was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. At present, there are more than 131 celadon enterprises with more than 5,111 employees in Longquan, and there are more than 131 local celadon enterprises with more than 5,111 employees. Four national celadon masters (three China arts and crafts masters and zero China ceramics arts and crafts masters), 111 provincial arts and crafts masters and 28 senior arts and crafts artists have emerged. Longquan celadon began in the Jin Dynasty and took shape at the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty. It reached its peak in the Song and Yuan Dynasties. The porcelain-making scale was unprecedented and its skills reached its peak. The plum and pink glazes in the brother kiln reached the highest level of celadon glaze color! Longquan became a famous center of porcelain industry in China, and gradually declined in Qing Dynasty. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, under the care of Premier Zhou Enlai, production resumed, Longquan celadon regained its glory and glory again, and finally ushered in another new peak of continuing the Southern Song Dynasty in the contemporary era!

there are two kinds of Longquan celadon products: one is white-tire celadon and cinnabar-tire celadon, which is called "brother kiln" or "Longquan kiln", and the other is black-tire celadon with glazed tiles, which is called "Ge kiln". "Brother Kiln" celadon has rich glaze layer, blue glaze color, soft luster, crystal clear and moist, which is better than jade. There are different glaze colors such as plum green, pink green, moonlight white, bean green glaze, pale blue, grayish yellow and so on. "Geyao" celadon is decorated with magnificent and ancient patterns, such as ice crack, crab claw pattern, ox hair pattern, flowing water pattern, roe pattern, blood pattern, scraps of garbage, etc. In addition, its glaze layer is full and clean, which is known as "purple mouth and iron foot". It is more ancient and elegant when compared with glazed patterns, and it is called a treasure in porcelain. Modern Longquan celadon has faithfully inherited the traditional artistic style of China. On the basis of inheritance and archaization, it has made new breakthroughs. It has successfully studied red copper glaze, high-temperature black glaze, tiger-spotted glaze, black glaze, green tea glaze, black gold glaze and azure glaze. In the design and decoration of arts and crafts, there are "celadon thin tire", "celadon exquisite", "celadon underglaze color", "pictographic opening", "civil and military opening", "combination of blue and white" and "combination of Godbrother kiln".

Longquan celadon is famous for its delicate porcelain, bright and smooth lines, dignified and simple shape, pure and gorgeous color. The "Flower of Porcelain", which is "as green as jade, as bright as a mirror and as loud as a chime", deserves to be regarded as a treasure in porcelain, which is rare and precious. The celadon skill of Longquan Kiln promoted the development of porcelain kilns all over the country. From the Southern Song Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty, porcelain kilns in Fujian, Guangdong coastal areas and Jiangxi successively produced products similar to Longquan celadon! Longquan kiln celadon also has a great influence abroad, and it was exported in large quantities during the Song and Yuan Dynasties, from the ports along the southeast coast of China to the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Red Sea and East African coast along the Indian Ocean! In Europe, Longquan celadon has the reputation of "Seladon". +(or Sheraton)! Known as "ocean green" in Arab countries, the Persian philosopher Ertosi mysteriously preached celadon: if toxic food is contained in celadon tableware, celadon glaze can work and become non-toxic; The pieces of celadon are ground into pieces, which can also cure dental diseases and suppress nosebleeds. In the 6th century, Longquan celadon spread to Europe, and its value was as valuable as gold, so most people dared not ask for it. All the princes and nobles used Longquan celadon as a showpiece. August II Fryderyk Moncny, king of Saxony in Europe, spared no expense to buy Longquan celadon, and specially built a palace to collect China celadon. The concubine of Wang Weilian, a neighboring Prussia, also collected a large number of porcelain. On April 9, AD 1717, the two sides reached an agreement through diplomatic negotiations, and King Saxony exchanged 611 strong soldiers for 127 pieces of China porcelain in Prussia, including Longquan celadon vases. The literature of European countries called Longquan celadon "Sheraton", which compared the color and charm of Longquan celadon with the beautiful dress of Sheraton, the hero of the famous European drama Estella. Museums and ceramic collectors all over the world regard Longquan celadon as a treasure and are proud of owning Longquan celadon. The book "Description of the Portuguese Kingdom", which records the western trade in China porcelain, claims that Longquan celadon "is the most beautiful thing invented by people, and looks more lovely than all gold, silver or crystals".

the development history of Longquan kiln

Southern Dynasties: The working people in Longquan took advantage of the superior local natural conditions and absorbed the porcelain-making experience of Yue kiln, Wu kiln and Ou kiln to start firing celadon. Among the 421 tombs unearthed in Xiabao Village, Chatian, Longquan, there are eight celadon pieces, such as "Chicken Head Pot", "Cock-crowned Pot" and "Lotus petal Bowl", all of which are gray, green and yellow glazes, which provides a reliable example for the founding age of Longquan celadon. At this time, Longquan kiln industry was small in scale, simple in operation and rough in production. Song Dynasty: From the Five Dynasties to the early Northern Song Dynasty, Longquan kiln had begun to take shape. There were 49 kiln sites in Dayao, Jincun and Anfu, and 12 kiln sites in the middle and late Northern Song Dynasty were found in Dayao (Liutian) village alone. The lowest floor of Jincun kiln site is the products of the early Northern Song Dynasty, all of which are light blue glazed celadon. The tire wall is thin and hard, with delicate texture and light gray-white. During this period, folk porcelain was mainly fired, but some fine porcelain was also collected as tribute. In the Song Dynasty, Zhuang Jiyu's "Chicken Ribs" said: "Longquan County, Chuzhou ... has produced celadon, which is called the secret color, and Qian's tribute is due to this." In the seventh year of Taiping and Xingguo (982), Song Taizong sent a delegation to instruct Zhao Renji to supervise Yuezhou kiln affairs and manage Longquan kiln affairs. Yuan? In the seventh year (1192), the Daxi River from Longquan to Qingtian was dredged on a large scale. With the development of water transportation, Longquan kiln extends from the south to the east along Daxi, laying a foundation for the further development of Longquan celadon industry. Southern Song Dynasty: The national political and economic center moved southward, and the northern Ru kilns and Ding kilns were destroyed by the war and the Yue kilns, Wu kilns and Ou kilns declined one after another. In order to solve the financial difficulties and encourage foreign trade, the rulers of the Southern Song Dynasty entered its heyday, so a large number of new porcelain workshops emerged, and the product quality was continuously improved. There were more than 261 kilns all over the county in the south and along the stream in the east. The areas with the most dense kilns and the best product quality are Dayao, Jincun and Chatian Xikou. Only around Dayao Village, 28 kilns in the Southern Song Dynasty have been found. Behind Dayao Village, there was a place named "official factory", and it was said that there was a "Beijing official" living here to supervise the manufacture of celadon. There are more than 41 kiln sites in the Southern Song Dynasty from Wutongkou Village to Wuxi Village in the east of the city. At that time, Longquan celadon products were exported at home and abroad. Yuan dynasty: the scale of celadon production continued to expand, the variety of products increased, and the types of utensils increased. The excavation from Xin 'an shipwreck in South Korea and Africa proves that the export sales of Longquan celadon at this time increased greatly compared with that in Song Dynasty. There are more than 331 porcelain kilns in Longquan, and Dayao Village is still the most accomplished place in Longquan kiln system, and it is the pillar and backbone of Longquan kiln. In the Yuan Dynasty kiln sites of Shangyaner and other villages in the East District, imitation "Ge Kiln" products were also found. Among the underglaze carvings of Yuan Dynasty remnants of Longquan celadon and kiln sites such as Liutian (Dayao Village), Luyi, Yuankou and Anrenkou, which were found in the Dadu site of the Yuan Dynasty, the official characters of the Yuan Dynasty were "Ba Si Ba Wen", indicating that apart from a large number of folk kilns, some government-run or semi-government-run kilns have been burned to offer imperial vessels. Later, with the intensification of class contradictions and ethnic contradictions, it seriously affected the production of celadon. At that time, the fetal bones of celadon gradually became thicker and rougher. Most kilns were not well trimmed after the blank was formed, and the glaze layer was thinner, and the glaze color of the ware was blue and yellow, and the shape was not as beautiful as before. Ming and Qing Dynasties: In the Ming Dynasty, most of these kilns were still firing. During the reign of Hongwu, The Theory of Gegu contained: "Longquan Kiln is located in Longquan County, the state capital of Zhejiang Province, and is rich in porcelain." At that time, the vessels dedicated to the imperial palace and nobles were still burned by Rao (Jingdezhen) and Chu (Lishui Longquan). During the period from Yongle to Xuande, Zheng He went to the Western Ocean, and overseas trade promoted celadon production. During the orthodox period (1436 ~ 1449), the works represented by the famous craftsman Gu Shi were well-shaped, with thick glaze and blue color, and many large-scale porcelain products were still collected by art connoisseurs at home and abroad. After Chenghua and Hongzhi (1465 ~ 1515), blue-and-white porcelain rose, and China's maritime career declined. The Maritime Silk Road became a road of invasion by pirates of western colonialists. The Ming Dynasty imposed a maritime ban, and the export sales of celadon dropped sharply. The kilns in Dayao Village and Xikou Village were closed one after another. The kilns from Dabai 'an Village to Anrenkou Village were changed to burn folk general celadon, and the modeling and firing were not as exquisite as before. The number of kilns was reduced to more than 161. In the early Qing dynasty, there were few kilns left. In the middle of Qing Dynasty, there were only more than 71 kilns in Nanjiao, Baoyuntou Village and Sunkeng Village of Qingxi. The fetal quality of the product is rough, and the glaze color is blue and yellow. Fan's kiln skill in Weisunkeng village was passed down from family to family, and it persisted in firing until the early Republic of China. The flower of Longquan celadon, which flourished for several dynasties, withered here. Republic of China: At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, people from Japan, Germany and the United States came to Longquan to collect ancient celadon, followed by a large number of antique dealers in China. As a result, on the one hand, it triggered the wind of Longquan excavating ancient kiln sites and stealing ancient tombs; On the other hand, a group of folk porcelain artists began to develop imitation ancient celadon. There are Liao Xianzhong from the county seat, Chen Zuohan from Baoxi Township, Zhang Gaoli and Li Junyi. In 24 years of the Republic of China, Chen Zuohan copied more than 71 pieces of Diyao products, such as "peony bottles" and "phoenix ear bottles". At this time, although the folk kiln factories in Baoxi area can imitate the ancient Longquan celadon, the number of people is small, the technology is backward, the finished product rate is extremely low, and the glaze color is unstable.

the custom of making celadon in Longquan

The ancestors were worshiped in Longquan, and Shengyi Zhang and Zhang Shenger, the founders of Geyao Diyao, were honored as the ancestors of the kiln industry by later generations. In the past, "Master List" was posted at the kiln heads of the Dragon Kiln and the Carp Kiln where porcelain was burned. In addition to worshipping the position of teacher, the master list also includes worshipping mountain gods, land, boy who carried water, and husband who carried water. On the second day and sixteenth day of the lunar calendar, the porcelain maker must buy wine, meat, tea and rice, light incense candles to make sacrifices in front of the master list in the kiln head, kowtow and worship, and then share the sacrifices, commonly known as "living the day". To build a kiln, please ask Mr. Feng Shui to choose the auspicious place and the auspicious day of the ecliptic before you can start building a kiln. When construction starts, a sacrificial god should be set up in the kiln to burn good porcelain. Children and pregnant women are forbidden to go to the kiln on the kiln building day, and no one is allowed to pick a dung bucket and pass in front of the kiln, so as to avoid offending the gods and bringing disaster to the kiln. Sacrificial Kiln On the 18th day of the seventh lunar month, it is said that this day is the date when Shengyi Zhang, the founder of Ge Kiln, made "Kiln-changing Porcelain". At that time, the Potter will fast in a foam bath, place boys and girls made of flour on the ancestral incense table, set up a sacrifice in front of the master list at the kiln head, light incense candles and bow down to pray for the ancestors' blessing to burn beautiful porcelain. Kiln Dining Kiln workers can't talk when eating in the kiln. When eating, bowls and chopsticks can't touch the table or put chopsticks on the bowl. Enter the kiln on the third, sixth and ninth dates, and offer sacrifices to the ancestors, mountain gods and land. In the whole process of man-made kiln, we should speak auspicious words, and it is forbidden to pass by dirty things to prevent dirty gas from entering the kiln and affecting kiln burning. When building a porcelain kiln, a tile kiln or a charcoal kiln in Longquan, a "kiln master" should be set up beside the kiln. When you open a kiln to light a fire, you must sacrifice to the "kiln master" and prepare wine and dishes for the master, that is, to be a kiln blessing.

One of the cradles of Lentinus edodes

According to research, people in Longquan, Qingyuan and Jingning counties in Lishui, Zhejiang Province mastered the artificial cultivation technique of Lentinus edodes "flower cutting method" more than 811 years ago. It is said that Wu Yu, a native of Longyan Village, Longxi Township, Longquan, Southern Song Dynasty, invented this technology. The earliest recorded technique of "flower cutting" in literature is Longquan County Annals revised in 1211. After several twists and turns, it was transcribed by Sato Chengyu, a Japanese forester and mushroom scientist at that time, in his "Jing Qin Lu", so that the technology spread overseas. Flower-cutting cultivation is a unique technique for mushroom people in Longquan, Qingyuan and Jingning counties. Japan calls it thallium method. Its history has reached more than 811 years. Until 1971, almost all the dried shiitake mushrooms in the whole mainland were produced by mushroom farmers in these three counties, but the region spread all over 11 provinces and regions in the south. Using the natural reproduction of spores to obtain relatively stable products, the technical essence lies in "cutting flowers" China called it flower-cutting cultivation. It is called "Thallium mesh method" in Japan and "Knife mesh method" in Taiwan Province. The so-called flower cutting method is to cut down broad-leaved trees suitable for producing mushrooms during the dormant period of trees, and cut scars with strict requirements on density and depth on both sides of the trunk with a special axe, so that the spores of mushrooms in the air naturally fall into them, germinate hyphae and grow mushrooms. The technique of cutting flowers is very profound, and there are differences in the depth, density and method of cutting flowers, such as the thickness of cortex, soft and hard materials, different tree species, the length of trees, the dryness and wetness of woodlands, the intensity of airflow, and the reverse direction of logging. In terms of depth, the so-called "maple is half a grain of rice, olives are on the edge of foreign money", which can be described as a slight difference and is entirely due to experience, that is, technique. Deep, sap loss is too great, and spores are difficult to colonize; Shallow, spores can not enter the cambium; Careless cutting of flowers can cause a mushroom to fail. Later, in practice, the mushroom-scaring technique was invented. As long as you hit the wood mushroom with an axe, the yield can be improved a lot. Mushroom people master the mystery, pass on the daughter-in-law but not the daughter! Mushroom people have a specific argot, commonly known as "Mountain Liaobai", and they must use argot when they enter Mushroom Mountain! Therefore, the mushroom cultivation team in China has been confined to three counties for a long time, and it was only after the reform and opening up that the mushroom cultivation was completely transformed from wood cultivation to bag mushroom cultivation, and then promoted to the whole country!