Anxi: Half of Southern Fujian's Intangible Cultural Heritage History Under a Millennium of Legacy
When Anxi's Cai Zha (colored paper crafts) meticulously recreate architectural splendor, Song Jiang Array, Cishi (Lion Killing Dance), and Jian Ci Diao (cut porcelain sculpture) are using intangible cultural heritage techniques as their brush to rewrite Anxi's cultural verses, allowing time-honored skills to reunite with millennium-old landscapes.
【Song Jiang Array】
In the turbulent times of the past, as each village and community grew, they had to train a group of young people with martial prowess to protect their "own people," which is why the Song Jiang Array has been passed down for hundreds of years.
The Song Jiang Array, within various local militia organizations, influenced by folk beliefs, the experience of inheritors, and varying skill levels, has developed diverse characteristics during its long history of dissemination and evolution.
Before training, the Song Jiang Array typically holds a "Qi Guan" (opening ceremony) on the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month. Members must worship "Tian Du Yuan Shuai" (Marshal Tian Du) to ensure smooth training. Participating in temple fairs and incense processions is called "Chu Zhen" (going out for formation). During Chu Zhen, five-colored paper is affixed to weapons to prevent injuries during martial performances, as the weapons in the Song Jiang Array are real swords and spears. On the second day of the first lunar month, a "Zuo Ya" (ritual feast) is held, which is also a time to test new apprentices. On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the "Guan" (hall) closes, signifying the end of the period where experienced members guide new ones.
The Song Jiang Array of Baixi Village, during the mid-Qing Dynasty when the imperial court no longer prohibited martial arts and promoted militia training, ceased role-playing and focused primarily on martial arts formation drills. The formation drills consist of teams of 18, with multiple teams combining to form formations of 36, 72, or up to 108 people. During performances, the main flag serves as the command (the four-cornered flag is the primary command flag).
From the drills, one can observe ancient military strategic planning and martial combat techniques.
【Cishi (Lion Killing Dance)】
"Taozhou Cishi" (Lion Killing Dance of Taozhou) originated from military formations during the Song and Ming dynasties. It is a cultural and sports activity that integrates martial arts training with lion dance techniques, popular in the Southern Fujian region. In some villages in counties like Anxi, Yongchun, and Dehua, ancient traditional boxing and Shaolin "Cishi" techniques are still preserved today.
"Taozhou Cishi" typically consists of 18 people. Usually, an elderly person, holding a red banner, stands at the front of the team. In front of him is the "leader" who calls out commands, and this leader also serves as the "Cishi" instructor. The team has a wide age range, including elders over 60, middle-aged people in their 30s, and strong young men around 20.
At the performance site, performers, holding eighteen types of weapons such as front spears, official swords, rakes, double-edged weapons, crescent axes, long and short picks, long and short clubs, long and short swords, and rattan shields, prepare to "kill the lion." Amidst the shouts of the "leader," the "Cishi" activity begins. The lion's head is held by a strong man, while four other strong men hold the lion's body cloth, moving in coordination with the lion's head and tail. After a display of the lion's might, the "Cishi" leader bravely enters. He is seen holding an official sword, leading the charge, and engaging in a fierce battle with the lion. The members of the lion-killing team, lined up behind, step forward one by one, wielding their eighteen types of weapons, exerting all their strength to engage in a desperate struggle with the lion. After a dazzling battle, the "Cishi" performer, holding the official sword, "kills" the lion with his superb martial arts skills, and the "Cishi" action is successfully completed.
"Taozhou Cishi" (Lion Killing Dance of Taozhou) originated from military formations during the Song and Ming dynasties. It is a cultural and sports activity that integrates martial arts training with lion dance techniques, popular in the Southern Fujian region. In some villages in counties like Anxi, Yongchun, and Dehua, ancient traditional boxing and Shaolin "Cishi" techniques are still preserved today.
"Taozhou Cishi" typically consists of 18 people. Usually, an elderly person, holding a red banner, stands at the front of the team. In front of him is the "leader" who calls out commands, and this leader also serves as the "Cishi" instructor. The team has a wide age range, including elders over 60, middle-aged people in their 30s, and strong young men around 20.
At the performance site, performers, holding eighteen types of weapons such as front spears, official swords, rakes, double-edged weapons, crescent axes, long and short picks, long and short clubs, long and short swords, and rattan shields, prepare to "kill the lion." Amidst the shouts of the "leader," the "Cishi" activity begins. The lion's head is held by a strong man, while four other strong men hold the lion's body cloth, moving in coordination with the lion's head and tail. After a display of the lion's might, the "Cishi" leader bravely enters. He is seen holding an official sword, leading the charge, and engaging in a fierce battle with the lion. The members of the lion-killing team, lined up behind, step forward one by one, wielding their eighteen types of weapons, exerting all their strength to engage in a desperate struggle with the lion. After a dazzling battle, the "Cishi" performer, holding the official sword, "kills" the lion with his superb martial arts skills, and the "Cishi" action is successfully completed.
Whenever the New Year begins or during temple fair parades, the lion array majestically enters the venue. One or two golden-maned male lions leap and tumble at the front, followed by a team of martial artists in black clothes with sashes, holding knives and sticks, marching in formation.
When the gongs and drums of the New Year ring out again, and the majestic lion raises its head to gaze upon the myriad lights, it carries the warmth of a thousand years, entering every lamp of blessing, entering every day yearning for peace.
【Anxi Jian Ci Diao (Cut Porcelain Sculpture)】
Jian Ci Diao, also known as "Dui Hua" (stacked flowers) or "Dui Jian" (stacked cuts), is an art of sculpting by cutting and pasting porcelain fragments. It originated in the Song Dynasty, flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and has bloomed for thousands of years on the red-brick ancient houses of Southern Fujian.
The splendor and brilliance of Jian Ci Diao perfectly align with the intense spiritual beliefs of the Fujian-Taiwan region. Jian Ci Diao not only adorns the rooftops but also fuses Buddhist stories and folk beliefs into one, using traditional themes such as "Phoenix Facing the Sun" and "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea."
Above the rooftops, traditional themes like "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea," "Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl," "Phoenix Facing the Sun," and "Kylin Presenting Auspiciousness," set against the blue sky and white clouds, resemble silent dramas, carrying people's beautiful wishes to ward off evil, attract blessings, and pray for good fortune.
【Willow Silk Buddha Hat Making Technique】
Folk beliefs are strong in Southern Fujian, and devotees pay great attention to the adornment of deities, which led to the emergence of the Buddha hat making technique. Each Buddha hat has its own meaning and must be designed according to the deity's rank: King's Hat, Minister's Hat, Emperor's Hat, Qiansui Hat, Marshal's Helmet, Phoenix Crown... ranks differ, and styles vary.
Starting from several copper wires as fine as hair, gradually forming shapes like dragons, phoenixes, flowers, and grasses, then undergoing more than a dozen processes such as weaving patterns, annealing, flattening wires, applying decorations, hammering shapes, welding, cleaning, and gilding, a magnificent Buddha hat can finally be completed. Under the illumination of lights, those light and agile lines, and the postures of flying dragons and dancing phoenixes on both sides, seem to naturally grow from the brim of the hat.
They are the crystallization of culture and art, carrying people's reverence for faith and shining with the brilliance of traditional craftsmanship. When we look up, that golden glow falls into our eyes, and a sense of solemnity and tranquility fills our hearts.
【Anxi Cai Zha (Colored Paper Crafts)】
Cai Zha is an ancient folk handicraft that integrates crafting, paper-cutting, and painting. It condenses the myriad aspects of life into a small space, exuding a rich sense of life and profound cultural heritage. It is commonly known as "Hu Zhi" (paper pasting) among the folk, and artisans engaged in this industry in Southern Fujian are respectfully called "Hu Zhi Shi" (paper pasting masters).
Cai Zha technique is a cultural code engraved in incense and bloodlines. This millennium-old art flower is destined to continue to shine and rejuvenate through inheritance and innovation.
Intangible cultural heritage is not a dusty memory,
but a cultural breath alive in the present.
Let us together step into Anxi, this fertile cultural land,
guarding craftsmanship amidst the solemnity of the Confucian Temple and the elegance of ancient residences,
personally experiencing a legacy that spans millennia,
allowing Anxi's intangible cultural heritage to shine even brighter in the new era!