in2ebook Chapter 571 The Kiln Fire Never Ceases, Passing on the Flame
Chapter 571 The Kiln Fire Never Ceases, Passing on the Flame
In the golden autumn of October, the osmanthus flowers in Qinglongpo bloom again, with golden petals covering the mountains and fields, and a rich, sweet fragrance filling the air, even the wind carries a gentle scent.
The first Qingning Kiln Study Camp officially opened. Three buses with the words "Qingning Kiln Intangible Cultural Heritage Study Camp" printed on them slowly drove into the village entrance. The kiln fire patterns on the buses were particularly eye-catching in the sunlight.
The bus carried 150 primary and secondary school students and more than a dozen teachers. The children's laughter broke the tranquility of Qinglongpo and added a lot of vitality.
Gu Fanxing and Pei Luonan, dressed in light blue study uniforms with the Qingning Kiln logo printed on their clothes, stood at the village entrance to greet them.
Behind us is a path lined with osmanthus trees and decorated with celadon lanterns. In the distance, a dragon kiln is built against the mountain, with wisps of smoke rising from its roof. These smokes mingle with the fragrance of osmanthus, creating a picturesque scene full of intangible cultural heritage.
"Welcome to the Qingning Kiln Intangible Cultural Heritage Study Base!"
Gu Fanxing smiled and waved. The children excitedly poked their heads out the window and waved back, their eyes full of curiosity and anticipation.
After getting off the bus, everyone lined up in an orderly fashion and walked along the osmanthus path toward the intangible cultural heritage corridor.
Gu Fanxing walked at the front of the group and gave a vivid explanation: "Qingning Kiln has a history of thousands of years. It started firing celadon in the Song Dynasty. The kiln fire burned for hundreds of years, leaving behind countless precious pottery shards and kiln tools, and also inheriting the exquisite porcelain firing techniques."
The osmanthus-lined path beneath our feet is carpeted with petals every autumn, and the dragon kiln beside it still uses traditional firing methods, producing celadon that is as warm and lustrous as jade.
The children listened with great interest, occasionally letting out exclamations of surprise. Some even took out their notebooks to take notes diligently, the pens scratching on the paper.
As the children entered the intangible cultural heritage corridor, they were immediately drawn to the pottery shards and kiln tool models, crowding around to examine and discuss them. "Teacher, why are the patterns on these pottery shards different?" a little boy wearing glasses asked, raising his hand.
Gu Fanxing squatted down and explained: "These patterns are called kiln patterns. The intertwined branches pattern in the Song Dynasty has delicate and smooth lines, while the lotus pattern in the Yuan Dynasty is full and heavy. Through the kiln patterns, we can determine the age of the pottery shards and understand the cultural aesthetics of that time."
Afterwards, the children were divided into three groups to experience courses in archaeology, porcelain making, and cultural and creative product creation.
In the archaeological experience area, children wearing sky-blue protective gloves carefully excavated simulated pottery shards in the simulated excavation area with miniature tools.
"Be careful, don't use too much force, or the 'artifact' will break!" Gu Fanxing patiently instructed from the side.
A little girl with a ponytail dug up a shard of pottery with a vine pattern and excitedly held it up: "Teacher, I dug up a shard of pottery from the Song Dynasty!" The children around her gathered around and looked at the shard in her hand with envy. She generously shared her digging tips: "You have to slowly move the sand away. When you feel something hard, dig gently. You can't use brute force."
A little while later, another little boy dug up a piece of pottery with a lotus pattern and hurriedly called out to Gu Fanxing, "Teacher, is this round piece from the Yuan Dynasty?"
Gu Fanxing smiled and nodded: "That's right, you're very observant!"
Gu Fanxing helped her clear away the fine sand, and praised her with a smile: "You're amazing. Not only did you dig up some 'artifacts,' but you also learned to share. That's wonderful."
Just then, a little boy accidentally tripped and fell, and the imitation pottery shard in his hand broke into two pieces. He was at a loss.
Gu Fanxing squatted down to comfort her: "It's okay. We often encounter damaged artifacts in archaeology. We can try to repair them."
She brought out repair glue and tweezers and taught the boy how to piece them together: "With patience, even damaged 'artifacts' can be restored to their original state." The boy studied diligently and quickly completed the restoration, his face beaming with a smile again.
In the porcelain workshop, craftsman Chen and Lin Xiao guided the children in kneading clay and carving patterns.
"When kneading the clay, you should do it in one direction and apply even pressure to make the clay fine and free of air bubbles."
As Chen demonstrated and explained, the children followed along, clumsily but earnestly imitating him.
Holding the kiln pattern template, Lin Xiao patiently taught the children how to trace and carve. One introverted little girl was hesitant to start, so Lin Xiao held her hand and carved together, helping her relax. In the end, the little girl completed the pattern independently, her eyes filled with a sense of accomplishment.
Looking at the children's work, Craftsman Chen nodded in praise: "You learn so quickly. Your earnestness is just like that of the old kiln workers."
In the cultural and creative production area, Pei Luonan led the children in making kiln-patterned bookmarks.
“You can imitate traditional kiln patterns, design your own unique styles, and even incorporate elements of osmanthus and kiln fire,” Pei Luonan encouraged. The children immediately became excited and picked up their colored pencils to create.
A little boy proudly displayed his bookmark, combining his name "Xuanxuan" with a kiln pattern: "Teacher, this is my personalized bookmark!"
Pei Luonan sincerely praised: "It's so creative! Combining yourself with the Qingning kiln culture is unique!"
A little girl ran over with a bookmark that combined osmanthus flowers and kiln patterns. Pei Luonan praised it repeatedly: "It's so beautiful. It has both traditional features and creativity. It's very unique."
At noon, the osmanthus grove was filled with dining tables.
Aunt Zhang and the villagers served stewed free-range chicken, braised fish, stir-fried wild vegetables, osmanthus cake, and osmanthus wine. The children ate with relish, and some even imitated the adults by taking a sip of rice wine, their faces flushing.
The teacher leading the group said with a smile, "The food in Qinglongpo is delicious, and the celadon tableware is also unique. This kind of study tour is very meaningful. We can learn knowledge and broaden our horizons at the same time."
In the afternoon, the children held a study tour exhibition at the Intangible Cultural Heritage Corridor.
The archaeology team displayed the pottery shards they unearthed and the "artifacts" they restored, the porcelain team displayed the engraved clay blocks, and the cultural and creative team shared kiln-patterned bookmarks.
A little girl in a red coat said, "I didn't know that porcelain was made this way before. Today I tried kneading the clay and carving patterns, and I realized how hard the kiln workers work. I will cherish traditional culture even more in the future."
A little boy raised his hand and said, "Today I learned how to identify the age of pottery shards and even restored some 'artifacts'. I want to be an archaeologist when I grow up and protect more traditional culture!"
Everyone shared their experiences, their faces beaming with satisfaction and joy.
At the end of the study camp, the children reluctantly said goodbye, carrying their findings and creative souvenirs.
Beside the bus, several parents smiled and said to Gu Fanxing and Pei Luonan, "The children are all talking about the study tour; they've gained so much. Thank you for your thoughtfulness."
"Teacher, can we come again next time?" a little girl asked, holding Gu Fanxing's hand.
Gu Fanxing smiled and nodded: "Of course, the doors of Qingning Kiln are always open to you."
After seeing the children off, Gu Fanxing and Pei Luonan looked at the feedback form full of feedback and felt a great sense of accomplishment.
Just then, the online store's customer service called, "Boss, our cultural and creative products are selling like hotcakes today! The celadon incense burner and the pottery shard puzzle are selling the best, and many parents are also asking about the registration time for the next study tour."
After hanging up the phone, Pei Luonan hugged Gu Fanxing: "Xingxing, we succeeded. More people are now aware of the Qingning Kiln culture."
Gu Fanxing leaned against him, looking at the flickering kiln fire outside the window.
"This is just the beginning. In the future, we will optimize the study tour courses, develop more cultural and creative products, let more people understand Qingning Kiln, like traditional culture, and let the intangible cultural heritage be passed down continuously."
Mr. and Mrs. Pei also called to congratulate them and promised to continue supporting them.
As night falls, Qinglongpo returns to tranquility, and the bonfire illuminates the osmanthus grove with exceptional warmth.
Gu Fanxing and Pei Luonan stood side by side by the kiln, holding hands and gazing at the brilliant starry sky. "Will the kiln fire of Qingning Kiln continue to burn?" Gu Fanxing asked softly.
Pei Luonan held her hand tightly and said firmly, "Yes, as long as we uphold our passion and get more people involved, the kiln fire will burn forever, and intangible cultural heritage will be passed down from generation to generation."
Under the moonlight, the kiln fire flickers, and the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms fills the air. The story of Qingning Kiln continues. This cultural heritage, imbued with love, kinship, and hometown sentiment, will shine forever like the kiln fire and be as fragrant as the osmanthus blossoms, becoming the most precious mark of time and continuing through the long river of history.