一方水土兩方藝

一方水土兩方藝

ONE LAND TWO ARTS

Different natural environment will breed different people; different people invent different arts. Arts in Zhenjiang are rooted deeply in this land full of cultural elements,which integrate best parts from all over China. The arts then were permeated into everyday life .

Text by Brooke Translation by Tao Wenjia&Bian Jiajin&Yishan Photos by Zeng Jian&Wang Ruijia

一方水土養一方人，一方人出一方藝。

鎮江的工藝深深扎根于這片文化深厚的土壤，匯聚大江南北之精華，融于柴米油鹽之尋常。

Lin Tianzhong, Senior creative director of Hengshun Vinegar.林田中，恒順香醋高級技師。

ZHENJIANG AROMATIC VINEGAR

Nihao: What do you think makes Zhenjiang the origin of famous vinegar brand?

Lin: I think the fi rst reason is its unique geographic features and natural environment. In Zhenjiang, the four seasons are very different, which helps with the natural fermentation and preservation. Second, as a land of fi sh and rice in South China, Zhenjiang has abundant agricultural products. We use local polished glutinous rice to make vinegar. Just like making rice wine, using glutinous rice will make higher quality products with a hint of sweetness. Our vinegar is not as sour as vinegar from North China; instead, the aroma and taste are tender and lasting. The Zhenjiang vinegar has a high amino acid level, so it has some medical use. In the Compendium of Materia Medica of the Ming Dynasty, there is a part about how this vinegar can be used as an ingredient of Chinese medicine. Local Chinese Medicine practitioners also have their own vinegar prescriptions. Zhenjiang has been producing vinegar for more than 1000 years. The core traditional techniques are passed on from generation to generation. For instance, the Hengshun vinegar has a history of more than 160 years.

Nihao：What are the core traditional techniques of making Zhenjiang vinegar?

Lin：The traditional procedure includes more than 40 different steps. Today, manufacturers still stick to those steps. The most essential one is the layered method. During the 21-day fermentation period, people put bran, rice hulls, acetic acid bacteria, and other materials proportionally into different layers. Then they will stir them differently in accordance with the current weather conditions and fermentation. Experienced masters will observe the smell and color carefully before using the most appropriate strength to stir. Certainly it needs a lot of experiences through the years. Such is the essence of this technique. Other traditions, such as using jars to preserve vinegar outdoors and the parched-rice coloring of the vinegar, are also signif i cant for Zhenjiang vinegar to have its unique aroma and color.

Nihao：Why did Zhenjiang vinegar become a local culture?

Lin：I think it's because a certain kind of natural environment will breed a certain kind of people. People in Zhenjiang like to eat cover noodle and salted pork, which are both greasy. And vinegar will help with digestion. So it naturally became a necessity for the people. Moreover, Zhenjiang is at the intersection of the Yangtze River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, so the Hengshun vinegar has been shipped out all the way to South and North China and even the South Seas since the Qing Dynasty, so this vinegar became a famous local product. You cannot separate Zhenjiang vinegar from its natural environment because after years of fermentation, we now have our own acetic acid bacteria. We tried such bacteria from other places. We also tried to move our bacteria to other places, but neither worked.

The crafts of Hengshun Vinegar has been listed in a national intangible culture project.恒順香醋釀制技藝被列入全國非遺項目。

鎮江香醋

Nihao：鎮江為什么能出名醋？

林：首先，鎮江有得天獨厚的自然環境，四季分明，有助于自然發酵和存儲。其次，鎮江是魚米之鄉，原料豐富優質。鎮江釀醋基本用本地粳糯，口感、品質相對較高。它的味道不像北方醋那么酸味強勁，而是酸中帶點微甜，就像江南人一樣，更清秀雋永。鎮江醋氨基酸含量高，具備藥用功效，是唯一可以入藥的醋。明代《本草綱目》中有鎮江醋的藥用方法，當地的中醫還會開醋處方。而且，鎮江有1000多年的制醋歷史，核心的傳統工藝得以代代相傳。

Nihao：鎮江香醋釀造傳統工藝的核心是什么？

林：整個傳統釀造過程有大大小小40多道工序，至今堅持不變。其中，最核心的技術叫作固態分層法。在醋醅的21天發酵過程中，將麩皮、稻殼、醋酸菌種等按照一定比例分層疊放，再根據氣候、發酵情況，進行不同程度地翻拌。有經驗的老師傅翻醅前，要仔細聞味、觀色，按照經驗和手感控制力度和深度。這是多少年累積下來的技術，也成了這項技藝的核心。其他傳統例如露天壇存、炒米色，也讓鎮江香醋形成了自己獨有的香氣和色澤。

Nihao：為什么鎮江的醋可以成為當地的一種文化？

林：我覺得，一方水土養一方人。鎮江人幾乎每天必吃的鍋蓋面、肴肉，都是重葷油膩的，醋有去膩促消化的功效，于是，成了家家戶戶、頓頓不少的必備。而且，鎮江交通發達，清代恒順香醋就開始銷往南北各地，甚至遠到南洋，這讓鎮江香醋的名聲大振，也成為南來北往的人都要買的手信。多少年來的釀造制作，也讓鎮江醋跟這里的水土密不可分。我們曾經試過把別的地方的醋酸菌種移植過來，也試過把我們的菌種移植到別處，但都釀不出這么好的品質。

JINGKOU CLAY SCULPTURE

Nihao: What's the key feature of Zhenjiang (Jingkou) clay sculpture?

Ge: In my opinion, the most distinctive feature is the integration of rough and delicate, and of northern and southern Chinese culture. As Zhenjiang has been an important transport hub for southern and northern China, businessmen and craftsman from different places would have the chance to gather at the city and exchange information as well as techniques. The clay sculptures from north China often emphasize the surfaces of sculptures and use various tools, while the south often focuses on the spirit and mainly relies on pinching. I make my sculptureswith knives or my hands according to the theme. Though I combine skills from both the north and the south, I pay more attention to the spirit of the sculpture and try to emphasise certain parts of the characters. For example, when making Bainianzi, a character in Chinese ancient folklore who is considered to be gentle and kind, I've created the face, clothes, and gesture in a soft and beautiful way. But later when she is in great anger in the story, I've given her more exaggerated movement.

Nihao: What does the clay sculpture tell

us about the cultural characteristics of Zhenjaing?

Ge: The themes of the sculptures are closely related to local culture. Many are based on Chinese folk stories, which we also often heard from the elder generations and read in picturestory books. Also, Zhenjiang has great a natural environment, surrounded by mountains and a river, and has attracted scholars and artists to come and spend time here. Therefore, the city has abundant folk cultures and a laidback style, humour, and a bit exaggerating.

Ge Zhizhong, inheritor of intangible cultural heritage“Jingkou Clay Sculpture”.葛志仲，“京口泥塑”非遺項目傳承人

京口泥塑

Nihao：鎮江（京口）泥塑從技法上來說有什么特點？

葛：我覺得最大的特點是粗中帶細，南北交融。鎮江自古是交通要道，南來北往的人在等待渡江時，交流信息、技術，于是南北的技法得以在此融通。一般來說，北方比較注重塊面，用工具比較多，比方說天津泥人張；南方注重寫意，主要用手捏的方法，比如說惠山泥人。我做的泥塑，有手捏，也有用刻刀，根據題材選擇不同的手法，南北結合。相對來說，我更偏重寫意，抓住某一點，來表現人物的性格、神韻。比如白娘子的性格溫柔善良，五官、衣著、動作都要比較秀氣。而在水漫金山一幕時，要強調白娘子發怒，動作、神情要比平時更張揚一些。

Nihao：京口泥塑反映了鎮江怎樣的文化特性？

葛：泥塑的選題跟鎮江文化密切相關，比如我做過的水漫金山、劉備娶親等，都是從小聽到大的當地民間故事。用料上也多是就地取材，不強調奢華，泥塑文化非常接地氣，平民化，大眾化。而且，鎮江山清水秀，文人雅士都喜歡來此地吟詩作畫，一方面使得此地文化積淀深厚，另一方面創作者在這里保持著放松、休閑的心態，所以文化風格不沉重、不急躁，有種回歸自然，無拘無束的質樸之趣。

Chen Bohua, inheritor of national intangible cultural project.陳柏華 ，“秦淮燈彩”國家級非遺傳承人

LANTERNS FESTIVALOF JURONG

Nihao：What is Jurong Lantern Festival famous for?

Chen: The source of Qin Huai River is in Jurong. Qin Huai District has thousands of years' history of a lantern festival. The people in Jurong love to watch the dragon dance and lion dance, and visit the lantern festivals when we are little. This special regional culture formed the tradition of lantern making. At the time of traditional festivals or people's houses being completed, every family will hang the lanterns to give some joyful atmosphere. Especially when it comes to the Festival of Lanterns, which is just like a Chinese carnival, it is essential to visit the festival. In the past, people making lanterns in Jurong were normally farmers. They made some festival lanterns before the festival or at rest and then sold them in the town. Now, most lanterns I make are for grand lantern festivals. Besides the exterior decoration, the techniques of sound, lighting, electricity and the like will be included. The electronic industry in Zhenjiang is quite developed, which makes Jurong festival lanterns more accurate and more diversif i ed in the sense of lighting and conduct velocity of action potential. This is also one of the advantages of Jurong festival lanterns. I did a project called “Usher in the New Year with Drums and Gongs” this year, in which a paper monkey was playing the drum and the gong to the beat of music. Both the lantern craft and technique were of the highest level.

Nihao: Compared to the others, what's the specialty of Jurong festival lanterns?

Chen: Northern lanterns are rough, implying booming and good luck, so they are brightlycolored, in sharp contrast and bigger in size. In the regions south of the Yangtze River, people are relatively fi ne and smooth. The lanterns are mainly for praying for peace. The color is light and elegant, and the lanterns are often made in a smaller size.Zhenjiang is located on the north-south border, fusing the features of both. Its lantern craft is more similar to the southern, emphasizing details. For instance, when we make dragons, we don't just draw some fl akes on the lantern paper. We stick the fl akes onto the lantern piece by piece, which makes it more vivid and three dimensional. For the materials, Jurong festival lanterns do not apply precious materials such as silk in Zhejiang, and the themes are not that international. Jurong festival lanterns have more customs, more themes about Zhenjiang folk lore or even Zhenjiang Three Strange. They are very down-to-earth ones.

句容花燈

Nihao：鎮江句容的花燈為什么出名？

陳：秦淮河的上源頭就在句容，秦淮燈會有數千年傳統，我們句容人從小就喜歡看舞龍、舞獅，看燈會。特殊的地域文化形成了做燈的傳統。一般傳統節慶或者新屋落成，各家都會掛些花燈增添喜氣。過去，句容做燈的人多是普通農民，節前或者農閑時扎制一些花燈到村鎮上賣。現在，我做的燈多半用于大型燈會，除了外在的裝飾工藝，還要加上聲、光、電等科技。江蘇地區電子工業較為發達，在燈光控制、動作傳導上都更精準、多變，這也是句容花燈的優勢之一。今年我做過一個“敲鑼打鼓迎新春”的作品，用紙扎的猴子跟著音樂節拍敲打真鑼真鼓，無論工藝還是科技上都體現了較高的水準。

Nihao:相比其他地方，句容的花燈有什么特別之處？

陳：北方燈比較粗獷，寓意紅紅火火，所以用色非常鮮艷，對比強烈，造型一般比較大。江南地區比較細膩，主要用于求平安，色彩淡雅和諧，小的物件比較多。鎮江屬于南北交界的地方，融合了南北兩方的特點。它在工藝上更接近南方，特別注重細節，比如我們做的龍，不是簡單在燈面上畫上鱗片，而是一片片粘上去，更加立體，更加精致。但在用料上，句容花燈不會像浙江使用真絲那么高檔的材料，題材也不會像海派花燈那么洋氣。句容的燈更多是民俗風格，題材多是鎮江的民間傳說、鎮江三怪等，是非常接地氣的民間藝術。

Nihao:如何成為做花燈的大師？

陳：從技術上來說，學做花燈并不難，一個星期就能掌握皮毛，但要做精，需要悟性，以及不斷鉆研。我沒有真正拜過師，但是一直沒有停止過到處學習觀摩。現在，我還開始研究根雕、剪紙等其他工藝，發現這些都可以與做燈相通，這就是中國民間工藝博大精深之處。要成為做燈的大師，我認為最重要的是見聞廣博，真正理解題材背后的文化。