In 2016, "The Twenty four Solar Terms - the time knowledge system and its practice formed by Chinese people through observing the annual movement of the sun" was included in the list of representative works of intangible cultural heritage of mankind. "Spring in Shiqian" is one of the most representative expansion lists of the project.
"At the beginning of spring, the east wind thaws, the insects begin to shake up, and the fish begin to pay off the ice." The footnote at the beginning of the solar term of a year, inheriting the customs of thousands of years, has been performed in Tongren Shiqian County until now.
"The picture of our family 'talking about spring' for three generations has become a part of the history of our Pobei village." On March 25, Feng Wu stroked his father's portrait in the old house where no one lived, and thousands of things came to mind. Most of the more than ten photos in the frames on the wooden walls are group photos of Feng Wu's family. The smiling faces of his father, mother, lover, son, daughter-in-law and grandson are full of happiness, and several of them are instantaneous records of him and his father and son wearing "Shuochun clothes" and "Shuochun hats". "Although he is no longer with us, my two sons and I continue to pass on" Shuochun "."
Generations of people go from village to village to "talk about spring"
Feng Wu is the national inheritor of Spring Saying in Shiqian. The day of the beginning of spring on February 2 this year is just the time when the custom of "Spring Saying" starts every year. Most people in Pobei Village, Huaqiao Town, where Feng Wujia lives, are surnamed Feng. "Shuochun" has been passed on in the Feng family for thousands of years. The annual "Say Spring" is a major activity of the Feng family, and it is also a folk custom in Pobei Village, Huaqiao Town, Shiqian County, and Yaoshang Village, Pingshan Township. At the age of 11, he followed his father to "say spring" everywhere. For more than 40 years, most of the time from the beginning of spring to the vernal equinox has been spent in "saying spring". The span of two months and four solar terms has made him and other "spring officials" who "say spring" firmly inherit the custom of not ending the curtain year after year.
The seal of Kangsheng should be the seal of Chaoshun, the seal of Fuyuan, the seal of Wu and the seal of Qinghai. The seal of Wu can be traced back to the previous four generations. He heard from his father that every generation of his family was "talking about spring", and had never been disconnected, generation after generation. His generation is four brothers, and everyone can "say spring". His father is a county level inheritor. Among the four brothers, he is a national inheritor. His two sons continue to inherit the mantle of "saying spring". His eldest son Feng Qinghai also won the first and second prizes in the "saying spring" contest in Huaqiao Town.
"Chun Guan" in Pobei Village, Huaqiao Town, Shiqian County. The first one on the left is Feng Wu. Photograph provided by respondents
Feng Wu has a family of three generations. The front row is Feng Wu's father, and the left one in the back row is Feng Wu's son. Photograph provided by respondents
In addition to going out to "say spring" as a "spring official", Feng Wu is also a "instructor" in the village's intangible cultural heritage training class to popularize the "say spring" common sense and teach the "say spring" skills to students. The intangible cultural heritage training class in the village was opened several years ago. The adults and children in the village who can't "say spring" gather in the village committee every Saturday and Sunday afternoon to learn tunes, lyrics, performances, and the origin and development of "say spring", Shiqian say spring, and knowledge about the 24 solar terms.
Feng Wu is pleased that everyone has a high enthusiasm for learning. This batch of students will come again after learning the next batch. "The custom of 'saying spring' has long been deeply rooted in people's minds, and 'saying spring' has become inseparable from people's lives." Feng Wu said that his father was his master at first, and later he became his son's master. Several generations of people have mastered the essence of 'saying spring' and firmly passed it down in their daily immersion and special skills learning.
You can't throw away the things left by your ancestors
"Every time I went out in the past years, the robes I wore were clean. When I came back more than a month ago, the sleeves of the robes were so dirty that I could see people." Feng Wu said humorously that in the past, when I lived in poverty, "talking about spring" had another function, that is to beg for help. Every family who goes to "Shuochun" will give a bowl of rice and a few cents, and those who are in good condition will give a dime or two at most. After the reform and opening up, everyone's life has gradually improved, and this bargaining function has gradually weakened. "Saying Spring" has returned to the standard. Now no one has taken "Saying Spring" as a means to increase income, which is more pure.
Feng Wu (first from the right) leads the "Spring Official" to set out. Photograph provided by respondents
Feng Wu (middle) and his two "Chunguan" sons. Photograph provided by respondents
Feng Wu, who had studied in junior high school, had a clear understanding of national folk culture and a firm will. His strong organizational and management ability pushed him to the post of director of Pohou village supervision committee, director of village committee and secretary of the party branch. He left his post as a village cadre for nine years. A few years ago, he took the title of legal person of Pohou Village's agricultural professional cooperative to guide the villagers to manage tea gardens and fruit bases, and to connect the sales of agricultural products.
"Even so, I didn't lose the" Say Spring ". Whenever I had the opportunity, I would go out to several counties in southeast Guizhou." In Feng Wu's opinion, no matter what burden I shoulder, "Say Spring" is unforgettable. It is a kind of land and life feelings, but also a kind of unswerving adherence to excellent traditional culture.
In 2011, Shiqian Shuochun was included in the national intangible cultural heritage representative project list, and the status of "Shuochun" rose to a new height. But in reality, many young people go out to work or go to school. "Shuochun" has appeared a fault in the inheritance of the younger generation. Feng Wu realized the importance of inheritance, so he copied the libretto of Spring Lyrics to let his two children, Feng Qingshan and Feng Qinghai, master it all. He said that it was a custom left by the ancestors and could not be lost.
In order to ensure the survival and intergenerational inheritance of the "24 Solar Terms", in May 2014, the former Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture, under the guidance of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the former Ministry of Culture, established the "24 Solar Terms Protection Working Group" and jointly formulated the "24 Solar Terms Five Year Protection Plan (2017-2021)". With the escort of inheritance, the custom of "saying spring" ushered in spring.
In the same year, Huaqiao Middle School of Shiqian County incorporated "Spring Speaking" into its characteristic classroom teaching, and held "Spring Speaking" competitions for many times, so that the ancient art form of "Spring Speaking" can be carried forward in the inheritance. The "post-00s" youth of Huaqiao Middle School were granted Qinghai, which deepened their recognition and pride of "saying spring" through learning. In addition, influenced by my grandfather and father at ordinary times, the level of "saying spring" in Qinghai is better than others of the same age. From Feng Qinghai's point of view, it seems that grandpa and father have inexhaustible spring lyrics in their stomachs, and they can always give him answers where they don't understand. Later, when he went to a vocational school in Guiyang to study, he would also come to a "Shuochun" libretto from time to time.
No turning back on the way of inheriting intangible cultural heritage
During the interview, Feng Wu took out a stack of red paper and printing plates printed with Chinese characters from a green backpack to show the reporter that before going out to "say spring", "Spring officials" should not only hold simple and grand ceremonies, but also carve two templates, one carved with 24 solar terms and spring stickers, and the other carved with God of Wealth. Spring stickers are made by using the ancient wood block printing. After the template is carved, ink is brushed, and then spring stickers are printed on red paper. There is a time corresponding to the 24 solar terms on the spring sticker, and there is a "spring cow". Every time the "spring official" arrives at the home, he will send out a spring sticker to inform the owner of the farming activities corresponding to the solar terms.
Feng Wu shows his spring stickers. Shot by Lu Qingjian
Feng Wu (first from the right) is giving a lecture to the class. Photograph provided by respondents
There is a metal "spring cow" in the office of Pobei Village Committee. Feng Wu said that it is a display for people to visit. The real "spring cow" is made of local wood. Every time the "Chunguan" goes out, the "Chunniu" is wrapped in red cloth, tied with hemp threads and hung with green paper. The red cloth means that the owner's family can bring in wealth, luck and prosperity. The hemp silk represents the plague, and the green paper can pay tribute to the ancestors. Only after these things are ready can we travel to "say spring". Feng Wu said that all the Chunci poems were "hidden" in the stomach of the "Chunguan". What to say, how to say, and what effect to achieve all depend on how much the "Chunguan" weighs.
When "Chun Guan" walked into each house, the first thing was to open the door of wealth, then to say "Chun", and finally to expel evil spirits and filth. The whole process took more than 20 minutes. In the season of "spring talk", "spring officials" go from village to village and preach solar terms and farming from door to door, often hearing their voices before they see them. The "Spring Official" chanted the festive, auspicious and moving "Open the Gate of Wealth" while stepping into the master's hall. In addition to preparing incense wax paper candles to welcome the "Spring Official", the host's home should also prepare hemp thread and five color thread. "Chun Guan" will complete the whole process, and the host family will give him some money and rice cakes to show his gratitude according to his own situation.
"Shuochun" is mainly about singing, with simple tunes. The spring lyrics vary from place to place. The purpose of "Shuochun" is to make the performance more vivid. When talking and singing, you can neither sit steadily nor stand in place, but walk back and forth with broken steps, singing while walking, paying attention to the correct words, making people sound pleasing and look pleasing. Through rap, people are told that spring is coming and the farming of the new year is about to begin. They know the time early and cultivate in time. The educational function of "encouraging farming" and the ceremony of spring are vividly reflected.
In Shiqian, according to incomplete statistics, there are hundreds of "spring officials" like Feng Wu. In addition to the family name Feng, other "spring officials" with other surnames are also members of the "saying spring" team. Every time the "Spring Official" goes out at the beginning of spring, he presents a grand "solar term book" to thousands of families, so that people can feel the breath of spring in rap. This has become a great sight of folk customs in Shiqian.
Article and picture/Lu Qingjian, reporter of Guizhou Daily Tianyan News
Editor/Liu Lichao
Second instance/Yao Man
Third instance/Huang Wei
