"Sanzhou Road in the shadow of Cangguan, the sound of the rising sea is in the merchants of all countries". On July 25, 2021, "Quanzhou: World Marine Commerce and Trade Center of Song and Yuan Dynasty China" was inscribed on the World Heritage List.
During the Song and Yuan dynasties, Guquanzhou opened up a number of routes to Southeast Asia, East Africa and other places. For thousands of years, the staggered shipping routes on the Maritime Silk Road reflect the pioneering and innovative spirit of the people and the promotion of the traditions of the homeland.
The 22 World Heritage sites in Quanzhou are not isolated or static. As Li Guohong, director of the Shishi Museum in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, said, Quanzhou's world heritage sites and intangible cultural heritage skills cover many social and cultural elements such as social structure, administrative system, transportation, production and commerce. The core values and beliefs and folk customs embodied in them are still full of fireworks after thousands of years and have always been closely related to people's lives.
During the development of the ancient "Oriental First Port" Thornton Port for more than 100 years, the stone carvings on the Jiuri Mountain in Quanzhou witnessed the prosperity and decline of the ancient Maritime Silk Road.
Talking about the significance of the mountain stone carvings, He Chunyan, head of the Nan'an World Cultural Heritage Conservation Center in Quanzhou, said: "The spirit of unity and the courage to overcome difficulties that it represents have become the common spiritual belief of seafarers and even people in coastal areas. ”
Before the voyage, in addition to praying to the wind and other natural elements, people are also accustomed to worship Mazu and seek spiritual sustenance. Liu Yumin, the person in charge of the Quanzhou Tianhou Temple Cultural Relics Protection Institute, also mentioned: "Quanzhou Tianhou Temple is the first stop to enter the city and the last stop to go to sea, and the beliefs and customs of Mazu have also spread from the port of Thornton to all over the world at that time. ”
There is an infinite sea in the south of the state, and every year a boat is built to a foreign land." From ancient times to the present, ships have been loaded with multicultural and homeland feelings, and have also enabled our country's specialties and skills to be exchanged with goods from all over the world. In the process of opening up the ocean, people are inseparable from the fortune ship with a wide bottom and a watertight compartment.
Yang Liangdun, the representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage project (watertight bulkhead Fu boat manufacturing technology), introduced that "watertight bulkhead" refers to the use of bulkhead plates to divide the cabin into unconnected cabin areas, and in each bulkhead board, the gap between the plates is densely sealed with tung putty and hemp rope to ensure watertightness. Even if some of the compartments are flooded, the others remain dry, keeping the boat afloat and moving smoothly.
The Fu ship, which has good anti-sinking performance, ensures the safety of the voyage, and also brings the scene of "a large number of merchants gathered here, the goods are piled up, and the grand occasion of buying and selling is unimaginable". On the Maritime Silk Road at that time, Dehua white porcelain produced in China was an important commodity in trading. Chen Mingliang, a master of Chinese arts and crafts, mentioned that a large number of daily porcelain were exported during the Song and Yuan dynasties, and "China White" is like a symbol, conveying the charm of China to the world in practicality.
When people return from a long voyage with their goods, they see the stone tower of the navigation beacon standing next to the port of Thornton, and they are home. Yuanhang people's feelings for "home" are not only condensed in the courage to dare to dare to win only if they love to fight, but also in the tune of local life, between one thing and one product. These skills, which are very characteristic of southern Fujian and carry the "Maritime Silk Road" gene, are constantly innovating and developing in the process of protection and inheritance, injecting fresh vitality into the historical context.
The simple and elegant, euphemistic and affectionate Nanyin can't sing the scenery and things in the life of the Hokkien people, nor can it tell the "nostalgia" connected by blood. This "living fossil" of the Han traditional culture is also a vivid embodiment of the historical context of Quanzhou. The song "A Hundred Birds Return to the Nest" on CCTV's "Spring Festival Gala" in 2023 is full of traditional beauty and innovation that adapts to the needs of contemporary society.
In this regard, Chen Lianfa, the provincial representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage project (Nanyin), said: "The younger generation feels that there is innovation, and he will feel that he likes it very much. With the core strength of young people, it will be better promoted in the future. ”
Sit around the "Spring Festival Gala" with your family and have a delicious reunion dinner ......The Spring Festival has been an important festival of the Chinese nation since ancient times. During this period, many people are accustomed to lighting festive lanterns to carry people's good wishes.
In the studio of Chen Xiaoping, the representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage project (lanterns-Quanzhou lanterns), the lanterns are hung high and colorful, and several dragon-shaped lanterns are more smooth and bright, echoing the New Year of the Dragon that we are using.
We also went to France and Australia and brought some lanterns, and the children there loved it! Chen Xiaoping said that this year, the Spring Festival was included in the United Nations holiday for the first time, demonstrating the appeal of traditional Chinese culture and the good wishes of the international community for the pluralistic integration of civilizations.
The Spring Festival is not only for China, but also for the world. The same is true for the heritage of the Maritime Silk Road and intangible cultural heritage skills.
In the face of the vast ocean, generations of people have set sail, connecting Chinese civilization with the world, and constantly leading us to explore the oriental color and influence of marine civilization.