Guarding The Thousand Year Old "Shuva", They "Dye" A Piece Of Sky In The Deep Mountain Of Wumeng

"Green, take it from blue, and green in blue." green, is the ancient indigo dye; Blue, is blue grass, its root has a well-known name - Banlangen.

From blue grass to dye, it takes a long process of picking, putting down the jar, picking up the dregs, washing ash, stirring, sedimentation, and indigo production. In addition, the grass ash, rice wine, glutinous rice and spring water are added. After 5 to 7 days of quiet waiting, the dyeing water after fermentation gradually turns from blue to light green, and then to dark green, yellow, dark brown... After such "starting the VAT", you can dye cloth.

Before dip dyeing, the fabric should be first "tied" with a string, or creased, folded, rolled, or squeezed, and then stitched and wrapped needle by needle. After tight stitching, the fabric was put into the dyeing vat. After a while, the fabric is picked up and the knots are removed. The part soaked in the dyeing water is still green when it comes into contact with the air, and turns blue gradually after oxidation. The degree of dip dyeing determines the color of the fabric

Today, colorful textiles are readily available. In Xuyong County, Sichuan Province, in the depth of Wumeng Mountain, a group of women left behind in rural areas still follow the ancient prescriptions and dip the colors bred by nature into their flowing clothes. Their hands are thick and rough, but their tie dyeing skills are exquisite and delicate. Learning, inheriting, creating... They continue the ancient skills and create a new life with it.

　　 Deep mountain VAT

Tie dye has been recorded since Qin and Han Dynasties. In Sichuan, it is named "shuval" because of its unique craft. For more than 2000 years, "shuval" has been popular among the people, but it has disappeared for many years in Xuyong County, Luzhou City, deep in the Wumeng Mountain.

Back in 2015, the former Department of culture of Sichuan Province took over the task of supporting Xuyong County, and Professor Fan Wen of Sichuan Academy of sculpture art was appointed to be responsible for the investigation and project implementation of poverty alleviation.

All his life, he only dealt with the spring snow. Fan Wen was very nervous about this task. She still remembers that in the first survey, the party came from the noisy city to the country with green mountains and flowing water, and felt relaxed and happy. However, it is very difficult to see a few middle-aged people in the village, which seems to be depressed and silent. With the village cadres going from house to house, some farmers' Miao embroidery and batik made Fan Wen's eyes shine. An idea suddenly flashed: "we can teach villagers to tie dye on this basis."

In the 1980s, when Fan Wen's mother, Zhong Maolan, was teaching in Sichuan Academy of fine arts, she had been looking for Tie Dye master everywhere to learn art. The past reappeared in front of her eyes again. The ever-changing patterns, pure freehand colors, and the endless beauty in simplicity made her infatuated.

"Xuyong is a multi-ethnic area, the design of patterns can be combined with the characteristics of ethnic minorities; there are rich plant species, such as indigotica, sappan, turmeric, which can be used as dyes; tie dyeing is relatively easy to start, and my mother has more than 50 years of practice and teaching experience, which can help teaching." Fan Wen returned to Chengdu and reported his ideas, and soon got support.

On October 10, 2017, with the support of Sichuan sculpture art academy, the first tie dye art training class was finally opened in Xixi village, Shuiwei Town, Xuyong county.

Fan Wen took his parents, who were over 80 years old, to Xixi village by car for seven hours along the winding mountain road. Many of her younger brothers and sisters also came to "make a living". One of her best friends even went to Xuyong with a breast-feeding device, and two nearly 70 year old volunteer teachers came from Chongqing to assist in teaching

At the opening ceremony, Zhong Maolan excitedly told the students: "my tie dye art is learned from the folk, and I must redouble the reward to the folk."

　　 White cloth dyeing

However, it is not easy to teach the villagers a craft of "beauty", just like dyeing the white cloth.

Only 15 people came to the first class of the training class, and there were six left the next day. "At first, I really didn't want to learn. I felt that it was too much time-consuming, so I might as well dig more bamboo shoots to earn money." Kaili, a villager of Xixi village, recalled that she could get into the training class because of the painstaking mobilization of poverty alleviation cadres stationed in the village.

Sitting in the middle of her daughter-in-law, Zhang Kaili is always worried. Her husband works outside all the year round. She has to take care of her four children and her parents-in-law's daily life, and there is endless farm work in the field. People in the classroom, the heart is still at home.

In the first class, Zhong Maolan started from the relatively simple "clip dyeing method" -- first, he used chopsticks or clips to clip the cloth together, so that the clamped place was less exposed to dye and produced beautiful patterns. A small handkerchief, because of a few blue water ripple embellishment, suddenly show smart. This let Zhang Kaili's eyes shine, follow the teacher's steps step by step, unexpectedly also succeeded.

Later, the teacher began to teach more complicated designs and colors. Considering that the students had no art foundation, she simply drew all the patterns on cardboard and cut them into models. Women follow the example, follow the outline of the model, and then freely combine. Pillowcases, scarves, tablecloths, tea seats... Were born one by one.

Zhang Kaili gradually became fascinated. The grass in the field and the cooking stove that she didn't have time to clean were all left behind for the time being. She recorded every step of the teacher's lecture in detail, and suddenly found the feeling of sitting in the classroom thirsty for knowledge nutrients when she was a little girl many years ago.

Master the basic skills, the design is all personal. The teacher found that Zhang Kaili had a unique view on color control and pattern design. Her works are full of variety in color and delicate in design. "What a delicate and rich heart this is," sighed Fan Wen.

At the end of the first training session, Fan Wen took the works of the training class to the charity sale of poverty alleviation exhibition held by the cultural and Tourism Department, and sold hundreds of yuan.

"Tie dyeing seems to make money." the women began to talk. In the second phase of training, there were more people all at once. The old sisters in the village came to the poverty alleviation cadres in twos and threes. On holiday, Zhang Kaili also signed up for her daughter and niece in junior high school.

Tao Jiaxiu, 68, is also fascinated. "Since the beginning of the class, I have been lying in the quilt at night, and my hand is still stretched out to draw patterns on the outside of the quilt."

Each training class is held in the mountains, and there is a scene that Chen Wei, a volunteer in Chongqing, has never forgotten. One night, there was a power failure during a class. I thought the students would leave, but I didn't expect that someone would find a flashlight. Everyone gathered around and listened attentively.

At that moment, the light in their eyes was very bright.

　　 Dye a piece of sky

In September 2018, Zhang Kaili left her hometown for the first time along with Fan Wen and village cadres to attend the Western China Cultural Industry Expo in Xi'an. Standing in the crowded exhibition hall, she suddenly realized the feeling of "self-confidence". "It wasn't my world, but I took it on my own."

More than ten days later, the Australian workstation of Sichuan returned Enterprises Association held the Sichuan food culture festival in Melbourne. At the charity dinner, more than 200 tie dye works from Xuyong made their debut. A 7-meter-long, 2.6-meter-wide wall hanging by Zhang Kaili sold for $800 (about 4000 yuan). The work is decorated with more than 400 white "spider flowers" of different shapes, which takes her 14 days. This strengthened her confidence once again.

In 2018, Xuyong county established a tie dye batik Miao embroidery professional cooperative, and tie dyeing workshops were set up in Xixi village and Qunying village. Nature's flowers, birds, fish and insects are transformed into simple clothes, scarves and handbags in a pair of skillful hands to decorate people's lives in the distance.

Zhang Kaili spent almost all her spare time studying the craft. She also tried to use many plants to make natural dyes, which made the colors more colorful and the works more exquisite. This summer vacation, she began to try to teach children in the City Tie Dye for nature experience camp. Today, tie dye has become her most important source of income, which can increase her income by more than 20000 yuan a year.

It's not just her who embraces change.

"My hands were originally used to grow crops. Now I start tie dyeing. I have a way to increase income and appreciate beauty." in May this year, Liu Xinglian, director of the batik poverty alleviation workshop in Mani Town, put on Miao's festival costumes and went into Southwest Medical University to give students a hand tie dye lesson. It was the highlight of her 55 year old life.

For Zou Hongying, 68, tie dyeing not only brings hope of increasing income, but also heals her grief of losing her relatives. "When you do tie dyeing and immerse yourself in it, your heart is comfortable," she said.

Walking around mani Town, Xuyong County, you can find the figure of "Xuyong tie dye" in courtyards, restaurants and B & B. Women are also used to putting a tie dye pillow on their sofa, a tie dye bed curtain on the bed, and a tie dye painting on the wall... Tie dyeing has quietly integrated into the daily life of Wumeng Mountain town.

Four years later, the team of only six people has been growing. At present, it has covered more than 260 villagers in 12 villages and 8 townships of Xuyong county. The oldest of them is 83 years old. The village cadres and they firmly believe that this craft breeds the hope of Rural Revitalization in the future.

Countless love also gathered here: some enthusiasts donated 10 sewing machines to the cooperative; Some people publicized "Xuyong tie dye" overseas; Compassionate enterprises make free advertisements on the high-speed railway from Chengdu to the whole country; There are also enterprises in Chengdu Kuanzhai alley, Dachuan lane to provide free sales channels

In July this year, a group of teachers from all over the world gathered in Moni Town, Xuyong. Although it is the eighth training course, the popularity is still not decreasing.

Chen Aidi, a tie dye teacher from Shanghai, repeatedly emphasized the design concept and quality control of her works. Because the stitches were not neat enough, Zou Hongying asked her to redo a handbag five times. "Our tie dye can not always rely on the help of others to sell products, to make quality and style are competitive things, in order to stand firm in the market." Chen Aidi repeatedly told them.

The attentive women nodded their heads. In the workshop at night, their feet trampled on the sewing machine in a happy rhythm.

(source: Xinhua Daily Telegraph)

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