User:Hanyuanyuan613/sandbox 打铁花

Iron flower

Iron flower
Iron flower national intangible cultural heritage
Chinese	打铁花
Traditional Chinese	打鐵花
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin datiehua

Iron flower, also known as iron tree, is a type of firework made of hammered molten iron that is popular in Henan, Shanxi, Hebei and other regions. It is one of China's national intangible cultural heritages.

Ironwork is a large-scale traditional folk firework. It is a folk cultural performance technique discovered by ancient Chinese craftsmen during the process of casting utensils. It began in the Northern Song Dynasty and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It has a history of more than a thousand years. Iron flower is mostly spread in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, and is most popular in Henan and Shanxi. Kaifeng Iron Flower is even known as the top ten folk arts in the Yellow River Basin. During the Iron Flower performance, a six-meter-high double-layered flower shed is set up in the open space. The shed was densely covered with fresh willow branches and tied with fireworks, firecrackers and cargo. A six-meter-high old pole is erected in the middle of the shed, making the total height of the garden shed more than ten meters. There is a furnace nearby to melt the iron juice. More than a dozen performers take turns using flower sticks to hit the iron liquid with a temperature of more than a thousand degrees onto the shed, forming an iron flower more than ten meters high.

In June 2008, the iron flower declared by Queshan County, Henan Province was approved by the State Council and included in the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage list, with heritage number X-88.

Origin of custom

The "iron flower" can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It originated from the sacrificial activities of craftsmen and was closely related to the iron smelting industry and folk beliefs at that time. At the beginning of each year, before the Wumen Craftsmen open for business, the leading craftsmen will set up a flower shed through consultation, and build a sacred shed to the north of the flower shed, facing south, select an auspicious day, and go to the Laojun Temple and Huoshen Temple in the county. Various sacrifices were offered. Afterwards, everyone in each store and trade name of the Five Craftsmen lined up, carrying the statue of Laojun enshrined in their store, playing winds and blowing, and setting off firecrackers all the way to the shrine. Each craftsman's shop along the way will set up incense tables to offer offerings to welcome the guests. After the team arrived at the shrine, they placed the statue of Laojun in the shrine and held a sacrificial ceremony to pray to Laojun and the God of Fire for peace, prosperity, and prosperity throughout the year. Flowering begins at night. Most of the people who participate in flowering are craftsmen from various stores. Before flowering, they have to kneel down and change clothes in the shrine, praying to the gods for protection and safety and to avoid burns.

The craftsmen's sacrificial activities were supported and participated by Taoist priests. Taoist priests either provide a place for blacksmithing (mostly open space belonging to the temple), or provide money and goods. When craftsmen perform sacrifices and parades, Taoist priests often organize musical instruments such as sheng, Xiao, pipe, flute, silk and bamboo, gongs and drums to cheer up the craftsmen. In normal times, craftsmen cast bells, Bianqing, cloud tablets, incense burners, braziers, etc. for Taoist priests for free. When encountering major Taoist celebrations, Taoist priests will also provide money and gifts, and invite craftsmen to hold "iron flowers" to add luster to Taoism. This virtually promoted the development of the "Tiehua" activity. Obviously, the original purpose of "Tiehua" is to show the style of the industry, please the masses, and expand its influence, which is equivalent to an advertisement. The second is to seek auspiciousness, using the homophonic pronunciation of "花" and "发" to take the meaning of "making flowers and flowers, the more you fight, the more they bloom", which symbolizes a prosperous career.

Queshan Tiehua began in the Northern Song Dynasty and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Leshan, the ancient Taoist holy land of Queshan, together with Hubei Wudang Mountain and Biyang Tongshan, is known as the Three Taoist Mountains of the Central Plains. Making iron flowers was originally a ritual activity for alchemy Taoist priests to pray for blessings, ward off disasters, and exorcise evil spirits to control the house. It is also a folk craftsman of gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin who joins the Taoist priests to worship the common ancestor Taishang Laojun every year during the Spring Festival opening. The ceremony held has the mysterious color of Taoism and the characteristics of the industry of hardware craftsmen.

After the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, the iron flower spread across the country as the Queshan people moved south and north, forming different styles. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, due to the government's promotion and support from all walks of life, Queshan Tiehua reached its peak, and expanded from the original opening ceremony of craftsmen or Taoist sacrificial activities such as the birthdays of the Jade Emperor, Laojun, and the Queen Mother to votives, promotions, marriages, high school, etc. General festive events such as home building festivals. In the course of its local spread, Queshan Tiehua has continuously absorbed various artistic elements such as setting off firecrackers, setting off fireworks, playing dragon lanterns, making bronzes, and traveling with community fires, gradually forming a unique performance style that is grand, majestic, festive and auspicious. In the early years of the Republic of China, Queshan Tiehua was on the verge of extinction due to wars and disasters. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Queshan Iron Flower was performed only three times in 1952, 1956 and 1962. By 1988, after Yang Jianjun's excavation, sorting and improvement, Queshan Tiehua once again showed its unique charm.

customary form

Before the iron flower performance, a two-story octagonal shed with a height of more than ten feet should be erected in the middle of a wide square. The first floor is 4 meters high and the second floor is 1.5 meters high. It is called a "flower shed". The top of the flower shed is covered with pavilions. A layer of fresh willow branches are tied with various fireworks, firecrackers, fires, etc. A pole more than ten feet high is erected in the middle of the top of the garden shed, which is called the "old pole". Long-hanging firecrackers and large fireworks are also tied to the top of the old pole, which are called "set colors". This flower shed symbolizes the meaning that one yuan generates two rituals, two rituals generate four images, four images generate Bagua, Bagua generates five elements, and five elements generate all things. A furnace for melting iron juice was set up next to the flower shed, and a large wind box (now a blower) was used to turn the pig iron prepared in advance into iron juice for later use. The flower stick used by the iron flower maker is a fresh willow stick as thick as a fist and as long as a ruler. The top of the stick has a circular groove with a diameter of 3 cm to hold the iron juice. When making iron flowers, the flower maker wears a gourd gourd (for protection) with a back-turned gourd on his head, is naked to the upper body, holds the upper stick filled with iron juice in one hand, and the lower stick without iron juice in the other hand, and runs quickly to the Under the flower shed, slam the upper stick with the lower stick. More than a dozen flower-cutters went back and forth between the furnace and the flower shed, one after another, one after another. One stick of iron flowers soars into the sky, and another stick follows one after another. The sticks are connected in an endless stream. The iron juice in the stick rushed towards the flower shed, and when it met the willow branches on the roof, it burst out and ignited the firecrackers and fireworks on the flower shed. The iron flowers splashed, meteors fell like waterfalls, and the firecrackers roared in unison, shaking the sky. A skilled flower shooter who can hit the old pole with one stick and ignite the highest fireworks and long whip is called "winning the lottery". Those who win the lottery should state their company and name, wear red and hanging flowers, and be rewarded with money and materials, which is a great honor. Whenever the iron flowers are being struck, the nearby dragon lantern festival organizes dragon lanterns to come to add to the fun and shuttle under the flower canopy with the iron flowers splashing, which is called "dragon piercing the flowers". "Dragon Crossing Flowers" is the best occasion to show the lineup, will, and skills of each Dragon Lantern team. The dragon lantern team that wears the best "Wearing Flowers" will be praised and admired by peers and audiences, and will also be rewarded by the organizers of the Iron Flower.

拍摄于山西省“司徒小镇”景区的打铁花表演视频

history and culture

The iron flower originally originated from the sacrificial activities of craftsmen. At the beginning of each year, before the five craftsmen open for business, the leading craftsman will set up a flower shed through negotiation, and build a sacred shed to the north of the flower shed, facing south, select an auspicious day, and go to the Laojun Temple and the God of Fire in the county. Various sacrifices are offered in the temple. Afterwards, everyone in each store and trade name of the Five Craftsmen lined up, carrying the statue of Laojun enshrined in their store, playing winds and blowing, and setting off firecrackers all the way to the shrine. Each craftsman's shop along the way will set up incense tables to offer offerings to welcome the guests. After the team arrived at the shrine, they placed the statue of Laojun in the shrine and held a sacrificial ceremony to pray to Laojun and the God of Fire for peace, prosperity, and prosperity throughout the year. Flowering begins at night. Most of the people who participate in flowering are craftsmen from various stores. Before flowering, they have to kneel down and change clothes in the shrine, praying to the gods for protection and safety and to avoid burns. The craftsmen's sacrificial activities were supported and participated by Taoist priests. Taoist priests either provide a place for blacksmithing (mostly open space belonging to the temple), or provide money and goods. When craftsmen perform sacrifices and parades, Taoist priests often organize musical instruments such as sheng, Xiao, pipe, flute, silk and bamboo, gongs and drums to cheer up the craftsmen. In normal times, craftsmen cast bells, bowls, cloud tablets, incense burners, braziers, etc. for Taoist priests for free. When encountering major Taoist celebrations, Taoist priests will also provide money and gifts, and invite craftsmen to hold "iron flowers" to add luster to Taoism. This virtually promoted the development of the "Tiehua" activity. Obviously, the original purpose of "Tiehua" is to show the style of the industry, please the masses, and expand its influence, which is equivalent to an advertisement. The second is to seek auspiciousness, using the homophonic pronunciation of "花" and "发" to take the meaning of "making flowers and flowers, the more you fight, the more they bloom", which symbolizes a prosperous career.

Queshan Tiehua began in the Northern Song Dynasty and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Leshan, the ancient Taoist holy land of Queshan, together with Hubei Wudang Mountain and Biyang Tongshan, is known as the Three Taoist Mountains of the Central Plains. Making iron flowers was originally a ritual activity for alchemy Taoist priests to pray for blessings, ward off disasters, and exorcise evil spirits to control the house. It is also a folk craftsman of gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin who joins the Taoist priests to worship the common ancestor Taishang Laojun every year during the Spring Festival opening. The ceremony held has the mysterious color of Taoism and the characteristics of the industry of hardware craftsmen.

After the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, the iron flower spread across the country as the Queshan people moved south and north, forming different styles. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, due to the government's promotion and support from all walks of life, Queshan Tiehua reached its peak, and expanded from the original opening ceremony of craftsmen or Taoist sacrificial activities such as the birthdays of the Jade Emperor, Laojun, and the Queen Mother to votives, promotions, marriages, high school, etc. General festive events such as home building festivals. In the course of its local spread, Queshan Tiehua has continuously absorbed various artistic elements such as setting off firecrackers, setting off fireworks, playing dragon lanterns, making bronzes, and traveling with community fires, gradually forming a unique performance style that is grand, majestic, festive and auspicious. In the early years of the Republic of China, Queshan Tiehua was on the verge of extinction due to wars and disasters. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Queshan Iron Flower was performed only three times in 1952, 1956 and 1962. By 1988, after Yang Jianjun excavated and sorted it out, Queshan Tiehua once again showed its unique charm.

main activities

Before the iron flower performance, a two-story octagonal shed with a height of more than ten feet should be erected in the middle of a wide square. The first floor is 4 meters high and the second floor is 1.5 meters high. It is called a "flower shed". The top of the flower shed is covered with pavilions. A layer of fresh willow branches are tied with various fireworks, firecrackers, fires, etc. A pole more than ten feet high is erected in the middle of the top of the garden shed, which is called the "old pole". Long-hanging firecrackers and large fireworks are also tied to the top of the old pole, which are called "set colors". This flower shed symbolizes the meaning that one yuan generates two rituals, two rituals generate four images, four images generate Bagua, Bagua generates five elements, and five elements generate all things. A furnace for melting iron juice was set up next to the flower shed, and a large wind box (now a blower) was used to turn the pig iron prepared in advance into iron juice for later use. The flower stick used by the iron flower maker is a fresh willow stick as thick as a fist and as long as a ruler. The top of the stick has a circular groove with a diameter of 3 cm to hold the iron juice. When making iron flowers, the flower maker wears a gourd gourd (for protection) with a back-turned gourd on his head, is naked to the upper body, holds the upper stick filled with iron juice in one hand, and the lower stick without iron juice in the other hand, and runs quickly to the Under the flower shed, slam the upper stick with the lower stick. More than a dozen flower-cutters went back and forth between the furnace and the flower shed, one after another, one after another. One stick of iron flowers soars into the sky, and another stick follows one after another. The sticks are connected in an endless stream. The iron juice in the stick rushed towards the flower shed, and when it met the willow branches on the roof, it burst out and ignited the firecrackers and fireworks on the flower shed. The iron flowers splashed, meteors fell like waterfalls, and the firecrackers roared in unison, shaking the sky. A skilled flower shooter who can hit the old pole with one stick and ignite the highest fireworks and long whip is called "winning the lottery". Those who win the lottery should state their company and name, wear red and hanging flowers, and be rewarded with money and materials, which is a great honor.

During the 2021 Spring Festival, the iron flower performance at the Long live Mountain Scenic Area in Kaifeng was broadcast on CCTV News. The fiery red molten iron was shot into the sky, and the "iron flower and fire rain" attracted bursts of cheers from the audience. Iron Flower is a famous traditional folk show in Kaifeng, an intangible cultural heritage item in Henan, and one of the top ten folk arts in the Yellow River Basin.

value meaning

inheritance value

The skill of blacksmithing has a long history, the performance is majestic and the scene is grand. The flower-arranging artist can move shirtless in the iron flowers that are more than a thousand degrees and can move forward and retreat freely without being burned. The dazzling brilliance of modern fireworks and the mystery and thrill of traditional stunts are intertwined, which is breathtaking. The iron flower contains Taoist culture, business customs, folk crafts and other contents, enriches the treasure house of folk art of the Chinese nation, and plays an important role in activating the cultural life of the people, improving national pride and enhancing national cohesion.

symbolic value

Queshan’s “iron flower” blooms in the dark, creating a dazzling golden color of molten iron that looks like fireworks. In terms of meaning, Queshan's "iron flower" has the beautiful meaning of "iron flower, iron flower, iron will definitely come out" and "iron flower, iron flower, the more you fight, the more you fight", which is used to express people's prayers for disaster relief and blessings. The vision of seeking wealth. People use "iron flowers" to pray for good weather, abundant harvests, national peace and security, wealth and good fortune in the coming year. It is said that the "iron flower" can ward off ghosts and evil spirits, and those who come to watch the "iron flower" can also get rid of evil spirits on their bodies.

art value

The color of the "iron flowers" is golden yellow, and the shape is like scattered fireworks, giving people a powerful visual feast. At present, "Tiehua" is known to more and more people, and people appreciate and praise his artistic value.

environmental value

The molten iron used in "iron flower" is different from gunpowder. It does not cause air pollution to nature and has the same effect as fireworks.

commercial value

Queshan's "iron flower" can promote the development of local tourism and create commercial value.

consult

• Chinese intangible cultural heritage

• Intangible cultural heritage