Jinghua Tianjiao

As an Internet literature writer, the research on intangible cultural heritage is not of deep significance, and what we understand is only superficial. The creation of "Jinghua Tianjiao" lasted half a year and was finally completed today. This realistic-themed work is created with intangible cultural heritage + diversity. This is also the second part of my Beijing flavor trilogy.

A skill has been passed down for two generations. How did the Beijing silk figures shine so brightly among the intangible cultural heritage? Not only from its original appearance, but also from the efforts put in by the craftsmen who made it. "Beijing Tianjiao" is more about the shortcomings of parents in old Beijing. Starting from a silk art family, it covers the combination of Beijing silk figures with elements of Peking Opera and Winter Olympics elements, as well as the old craftsmen's emotions for silk sculptures, which enable the restoration of silk figures. It has also become part of the currently popular "cultural relic restoration".

How an era spreads intangible cultural heritage may be the most valuable content in this work. Nowadays, how little people know about intangible cultural heritage, maybe they only see it in cultural and creative stores, and only think it is beautiful on the surface. There are barriers to the dissemination of an intangible cultural heritage work. The protagonists in the book, Du Juan and Du Feng, use new media methods to show the Beijing silk people in a new way, making the Beijing silk people not just commodities in the window, but also flesh-and-blood, visual characters.

How does a protagonist distinguish between dreams and reality? In this work, the protagonist Du Juan travels many times to and from three major dreams in the Song Dynasty, the late Qing Dynasty, and the Republic of China. In it, she perceived the birth and development of silk people in different eras, and immersed herself in the stories each era brought to her. This is true for Du Xiaoniang and Teacher Bai. Her identity change in the dream and her experiences in the dream also correspond to her in reality, how she made Jinghuafang recognized by the public.

A difficult history of female entrepreneurship. There is no doubt that this is an inspirational work for women. When Jinghuafang was first established, it was run by Yu Yan and focused on training silk people. But times are progressing, and the ideas of the older generation cannot keep up with the development of today’s intangible cultural heritage market. This is also a dilemma encountered by craftsmen in all intangible cultural heritage categories. However, as the founder of Jinghuafang, Yuyan knows how to let go and leaves Jinghuafang to her daughter Du Juan. But for Du Juan, this is a difficult task. On the way to start a business, she met Wenxin, Amuna, Li Wei'an, and Gesang. They all have their own stories and their own concealments. In starting a business in Jinghuafang, I reaped my own fruits. During this period, they were confused and lost, and Jinghuafang was like a lighthouse here, guiding the course.

A multi-element work with realistic themes, "Jinghua Tianjiao" is just like this. It is created based on reality, including the special period we have experienced in recent years, the Beijing Winter Olympics, a national event, and the Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition of Prince Gong’s Mansion, all of which are reflected in this work. Beijing Silk Man goes through more than a dozen processes to complete a finished product. I admit that in this work, the production progress of the silk figures has been accelerated, but in fact, it takes at least three or two months to carefully carve a silk figure, which is really not easy for intangible cultural heritage craftsmen.

Rooted in Beijing-style culture and based on real-life creation, "Beijing Tianjiao" is a realistic online work that can "read and see intangible cultural heritage". I am also grateful to the platform and readers for their company, and to my editors and teachers for their encouragement of the work. This work integrates female inspiration, intangible cultural heritage, reality, and business war. It focuses on the 20 years of accumulated grievances between two old Beijing families (Du and Liu), and finally turns into a reversal of the in-laws. Pay tribute to the older generation of craftsmen like Mr. Zhao Xi for their lifelong dedication to silk art. The parents are short-lived. In addition to inheriting the silk art, they also have a clear understanding of the family and the outside world. The fireworks and down-to-earth atmosphere of life, as well as the Beijing-style culture of "the most benevolent city", will be shown here to readers one by one.

Author: Hua Qingqing

Beijing, January 2023, 12

Thank you all for supporting "Jinghua Tianjiao" for such a long time. It took half a year to create, and there were bottlenecks and glitches. But in the end, this work came to an end here. Thank you for your companionship. This is a realistic work of intangible cultural heritage. Welcome to you. The collection is a silk sculpture of Beijing Baimei, and the posture of the national gift is like Tianjiao.