The "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Promoting Chinese-style Modernization" adopted by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China pointed out in the "Deepening the Reform of Cultural Institutions and Mechanisms" that it is necessary to build a Chinese civilization identification system and build a more effective powerful international communication system. On October 11, 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out during an inspection in Jingdezhen that the beautiful business card of "Millennium Porcelain City" should be polished even brighter. Ceramics are the treasures and important business cards of the Chinese nation, and are an important carrier for telling Chinese stories. It is necessary to clarify the theoretical, historical and practical logic of using ceramic culture to tell Chinese stories, promote the creative transformation and innovative development of ceramic culture, and present a credible, lovely and respectable image of China.
Using ceramic culture to tell Chinese stories has a profound theoretical basis.
Ceramic culture vividly embodies the rich connotation of China’s excellent traditional culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Continuing to promote cultural prosperity, build a cultural power, and build the modern civilization of the Chinese nation from a new starting point is our new cultural mission in the new era." Ceramic culture is an important part of China's excellent traditional culture and carries the It has rich historical and cultural connotations. Through inheritance and innovation, ceramic culture has been deeply integrated into modern life on the basis of retaining traditional craftsmanship and aesthetics, promoting the integration and development of traditional culture and modern civilization. At the same time, the ceramic industry is transforming towards high-end, intelligent and green services, playing an important role in boosting economic growth, promoting employment and improving people's livelihood. It is necessary to tell the story of ceramic culture well, enhance cultural confidence and cultural identity, and inject strong spiritual power into the construction of modern civilization of the Chinese nation in the pursuit of beauty.
Ceramic culture has good international communication effects. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that efforts should be made to strengthen international communication capabilities and promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. He also emphasized enhancing the communication and influence of Chinese civilization and promoting Chinese culture to the world. As an important part of China's excellent traditional culture, ceramic culture demonstrates the long history and humanistic heritage of Chinese civilization and has unique advantages in telling Chinese stories. Exquisite ceramic works carry the exquisite technical craftsmanship of the Chinese nation and are a reflection of lifestyle, social style and cultural traditions. It is necessary to make full use of digital communication methods to promote Chinese ceramic culture to the world stage through cultural exchanges, art exhibitions, and commercial trade, and enhance the international communication effect of ceramic culture.
Ceramic culture helps promote cultural identity. The aesthetic style and lifestyle represented by ceramics, as one of the typical representatives of Chinese culture, have always been loved by foreign people. Ceramics are therefore also a medium for condensing a broader cultural identity. Based on China's reality, we must deeply explore the historical origins, development context and artistic characteristics of Chinese ceramic culture, accurately grasp the inherent values and aesthetic tastes, and guide the public to improve their aesthetic literacy and form national cultural identity. We should use porcelain as a matchmaker, so that foreign people can understand andRemember the way to gather cultural power to build a community with a shared future for mankind through exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.
Ceramic culture once represented the glory of Chinese culture in history and also left profound lessons.
The ceramic trade on the ancient Silk Road was an important beginning to the world. As an important trade channel and cultural bridge connecting China and Eurasia, the ancient Silk Road was the beginning of Chinese ceramics going global. Yue kiln celadon, Xing kiln white porcelain, Changsha kiln colored porcelain, etc. were all transported to East Asia, Southeast Asia, West Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and became popular everywhere because of their unique Chinese characteristics such as glaze color, shape and decoration. Chinese porcelain-making technology also spread to all parts of the world, having a profound impact on the development of world ceramics. The ceramic trade along the ancient Silk Road was not only an economic activity, but also an important channel for cultural exchanges and technological dissemination, playing a positive role in promoting exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.
Europe's pursuit of Chinese porcelain has further promoted Chinese ceramic culture overseas. With the advent of the Age of Discovery during the Ming and Qing dynasties, a large number of Chinese porcelains, symbolizing wealth, status and honor, entered Europe through the Maritime Silk Road and became treasures sought after by Europe's upper class. The Porcelain Room at Charlottenburg Palace in Germany, the Dragoon Jar at Dresden's Zwinger Palace, and the Trianon Porcelain Palace in France all demonstrate the European aristocracy's obsession with and collection of Chinese porcelain, and have also formed a European ceramic craftsmen imitated the fashions of Chinese ceramic craftsmanship and techniques.
European ceramic craftsmen tried to imitate Chinese ceramic craftsmanship and technology, and constantly tried the ratio of various ceramic raw materials and firing techniques. Finally, in 1708, they successfully cracked the secret of making hard porcelain and opened a new era of European ceramic craftsmanship. . This kind of enthusiasm, obsession and imitation of Chinese porcelain is not only the admiration and praise of Chinese porcelain making technology, but also the love and yearning for Chinese culture. Of course, the Western plunder of Chinese porcelain in modern times is a historical warning. After the Opium War, Western powers plundered a large number of China's precious cultural relics, including porcelain, through aggression, unequal trade and other means. Although some lost cultural relics have been recovered or purchased and returned to the motherland over time, there are still a large number of cultural relics drifting overseas. This is the historical lesson that ceramics has left us. This period of history always warns and reminds us that only a strong country can better protect, inherit and develop ceramic culture; only by respecting each other and treating each other as equals can countries in the world be able to promote different Civilization exchanges, mutual learning, and harmonious coexistence.
Using ceramic culture to tell Chinese stories well in the new era has a new era mission.
Using ceramic culture to tell Chinese stories well has a new mission in the new era and a new practical basis.
Tell the story of intangible inheritance and innovation of Chinese ceramics. Since the Neolithic Age to the present, Chinese ceramic firing techniques carry the wisdom of Chinese civilization and have been continuously inherited and developed. "Water and fire are both harmonious and earth is combined." Turning mud into porcelain requires many complicated processes to achieve the combination of water and fire.The perfect fusion of fire and earth demonstrates the persistence and innovation of ceramic craftsmen of past generations. It is necessary to actively hold various international ceramic art exhibitions and cultural exchange activities, carry out education and training on the protection and inheritance of ceramic intangible cultural heritage, make full use of integrated media platforms, tell the world the story of the inheritance and innovation of Chinese ceramic intangible cultural heritage, and showcase the uniqueness of China’s excellent traditional culture charm.
Tell the story of the development and achievements of China's ceramic industry. As the world's ceramic manufacturing center and a major ceramic producer, my country's annual ceramic output and export volume rank first in the world. The ceramic industry, which integrates advanced technologies such as intelligent manufacturing, the Internet of Things, and 3D printing, continuously promotes its own transformation and upgrading, improves manufacturing precision, production efficiency, and product competitiveness, and effectively expands the international market. It is necessary to rely on the achievements of well-known ceramic companies in technology research and development, product innovation and market expansion to tell stories about strengthening creative design and research and development innovation, promoting the transformation, upgrading and international development of the ceramic industry, and highlighting the bright future of China's ceramic industry.
Tell the story of Chinese ceramic culture’s pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty. "Tao is used to form tools, and tools are used to carry Tao." Ceramic culture conveys the Chinese nation's world outlook, outlook on life, and values. It is necessary to tell well the legends of porcelain kilns such as "Wind and Fire Fairy" and "Beauty Sacrifice", tell well the stories of Chinese porcelain in museums, tell well the story of pursuing dreams in the porcelain capital of "Yangjingpiao", etc., with the profound ceramic culture Explain the Chinese nation’s persistence in truth, pursuit of goodness, and creation of beauty.
(The author’s unit is Jingdezhen Ceramics University, and this article is the result of the Jiangxi Provincial Social Sciences “14th Five-Year Plan” Fund Project “Telling the ‘China’ Story Well—Research on the International Communication Practice Path of Jingdezhen Ceramic Culture in the New Era” [23XW13D])< /p>
"China Education News" Page 2, August 25, 2024
Author: Shao Yu
