Jiaxiang stone carving, a traditional art form originating from Jining City, Shandong Province, has a long history and profound heritage. According to historical records, its origin can be traced back to the Neolithic Age, thousands of years ago. Jiaxiang stone carvings are deeply influenced by Confucian culture, emphasizing traditional virtues such as benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, and faith. In our works, we often see the embodiment of these traditional values. For example, statues of Confucian representatives such as Confucius and Mencius, as well as carvings of famous sentences in the Analects. To this end, the members of the practice team of the School of Computer Science of Qufu Normal University visited Jining Stone Carving Industrial Park on February 4, 2024 to understand the profound connotation of Confucianism.
About the origin of Jiaxiang stone carving, there is an ancient and interesting legend. It is said that in ancient times, there was a craftsman named "Shi Potian", who was so ingenious that he could carve lifelike images from ordinary stones. His works are not only beautiful, but also have mystical powers. Although this legend is mythical, it also reflects the exquisite stone carving skills of Jiaxiang and people's admiration for it.
In the long course of development, Jiaxiang stone carving has gone through the precipitation of many historical periods. In different historical stages, Jiaxiang stone carvings have their representative works. From the stone ques, stone tablets, and tomb stone carvings of the Han Dynasty to the architectural stone carvings and religious stone carvings of the Ming and Qing dynasties, each work has witnessed the exquisite skills and continuous development of Jiaxiang stone carving. Jiaxiang stone carving is known for its unique artistic charm, which is due to its exquisite carving skills, rich selection of themes and profound allegorical connotation. The carving techniques of Jiaxiang stone carving are rich and diverse, including round carving, relief carving, carving and other techniques. These techniques have been fully developed and innovated in the hands of craftsmen in the past dynasties, forming a unique artistic school of Jiaxiang stone carving.
Jiaxiang stone carving has a wide range of themes, involving historical stories, myths and legends, folk customs and other fields. The works have profound meanings, often borrowing objects and words to express people's yearning for a better life and admiration for traditional culture. For example, patterns such as "dragon wind is auspicious" and "lion rolling hydrangea" are common in traditional architecture, implying good luck and happiness. The production process of Jiaxiang stone carving is complex and fine, and each step embodies the wisdom and hard work of the craftsmen.
Through this visit, the members of our team learned about the cultural content and historical significance of Confucianism in stone carving, and increased our understanding of Confucianism. At the same time, it also regulates our thinking and behavioral habits. In our future study and daily life, we should attach importance to the study and inheritance of Confucian classics, and cultivate our traditional cultural literacy and cultural self-confidence.
Written by: Zhang Shanju.
Passing on the essence of culture, inheriting the torch of the times" social practice team.
Reviewed instructor: Yang Dandan.