中国日报 | 自贡彩灯：传统技艺与高科技的碰撞

ejinjing

《中国日报》2024年4月1日头版《中国日报》2024年4月1日4版

Zigong lanterns illuminate a colorful world through great ideas and cool tech  

自贡彩灯：传统技艺与高科技的碰撞

From Chinese culture enthusiasts to League of Legends fans, everyone can find something they’re passionate about at the Zigong Lantern Festival in Zigong, Sichuan province. Dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the festival has rapidly evolved, incorporating the finest elements from other splendid cultures and using modern technologies. In 2008, the Zigong Lantern Festival was listed as a national cultural heritage.

无论是中国文化爱好者还是英雄联盟粉丝，每个人都可以在四川省自贡市的灯会上找到自己感兴趣的东西。自贡灯会可以追溯到唐朝（618-907），融合了其他灿烂文化的精华，并结合现代技术，自贡灯会快速发展。2008年，自贡灯会被列为国家级非物质文化遗产。

“Making a giant lantern suitable for exhibition typically requires 17 steps,” said Wan Songtao, an inheritor of Zigong lantern-making. “Each step is accomplished by a team instead of a single maker,” Wan added. A sundial made by Wan’s team, for example, took about 80 artisans over 50 days from drafting the design to final light adjustments.

“制作一盏适合展览的巨型灯笼，一般需要17道工序。”自贡灯笼制作传承人万松涛说。 “每一步都是团队合作完成，而不是某个工匠单独制作，”万松涛补充道。 例如，万松涛团队制作的“日晷”，从起草设计到最终调整光线，由约 80 名工匠花费了 50 多天的时间完成。

Setting themselves apart from lanterns in other places, Zigong lanterns use modern technologies such as AI, mechanical engineering, and holography. They serve as perfect combinations of lights, sounds and movements. For example, the sundial employs mechanical transmission to power an amazing Chinese dragon that revolves around its rim.

与其他地方的彩灯不同，自贡彩灯结合了人工智能、机械工程、全息摄影术等现代技术。 它们是声、光、动的完美结合。 例如，在“日晷”边缘，转动着一条威风凛凛的中国龙，正是机械传动装置为其提供动力。

Most traditional crafts have been limited to specific families or groups. However, the inheritance of Zigong lantern-making is unique as it “is driven and led by the government, which encourages all citizens to learn the craft”, explained Zhang Fanglai, a leading researcher at the Colorful Lantern Museum of China.

大多数传统手工艺仅限于特定的家庭或群体。然而，自贡彩灯制作的传承是独一无二的，因为它“是由政府推动和主导，而且政府鼓励所有人学习这门手艺”，中国彩灯博物馆研究员张方来解释道。

Furthermore, there are no thematic limits at the Zigong Lantern Festival. “Anything that can be shown on a lantern can make a wonderful display, and everyone is encouraged to turn their ideas into reality,” Zhang stated.

此外，自贡灯会主题无限制。 “任何适宜呈现在灯笼上的主题都可以实现，每个人可以将自己的想法变成现实，”张方来说。

The diverse themes of Zigong lanterns mirror the inclusivity that has been rooted in the hearts of the local people for years. Zhang Fanglai said that Zigong is a city shaped by immigration. “Migrants from other cities not only invested their money but also brought their unique cultures,” Zhang explained.

自贡花彩灯的多样化主题反映了多年来根植于当地人心中的包容性。 张方来表示，自贡是一座移民城市。 “来自其他城市的移民不仅带来了资金，还带来了独特的文化，”张方来解释道。

“At the heart of the Zigong Lantern Festival’s success is the local tradition of collaboration and embracing cultural diversity, both within and beyond the city,” Zhang remarked. Driven by the collective efforts of the entire city, it is hardly surprising that Zigong lanterns have reached countries like France, Russia, the United States and Lithuania.

“自贡灯会成功的关键原因是当地人们互相合作的传统，以及拥抱外来文化的包容心，”张方来说。在全市集体的努力下，自贡彩灯远销法国、俄罗斯、美国、立陶宛等国家也就不足为奇了。

By MENG TIANTIAN, 21st Century Teens   

作者：21世纪青少年 孟恬甜

ZIGONG LANTERNS TO THE RESCUE

Zigong’s craftspeople excel not only in crafting large-scale lanterns but also in creating smaller ones suitable for home decoration. In late 2018, the Forbidden City planned a lantern exhibition which needs to accurately replicate the palace lanterns once hung in the Forbidden City. After people from the Palace Museum inspected numerous lantern makers, none met their standards until they turned to Zigong. The sample lanterns from Zigong were astonishingly similar to the originals, leading to a lantern exhibition that left visitors with lasting impressions.

自贡的工匠不仅擅长制作大型灯笼，还擅长制作适合家居装饰的小型灯笼。 2018年底，故宫策划了一场灯展，需要准确地复制故宫里曾经悬挂的宫灯。故宫博物院的人员考察了众多灯笼制造商后，没有一个符合要求，直到他们来到自贡。 来自自贡的灯笼样品与原品惊人的相似。故宫这一场灯展，给参观者留下了深刻的印象。