This year marks the 40th anniversary of Hangzhou becoming a national historical and cultural city. Hangzhou, which boasts three major world cultural heritage sites and 48 national intangible cultural heritage sites, is continuing its urban heritage and polishing this historical and cultural “golden card” in its development.
Professor Zhang Yinglan, an archaeologist, is more willing to describe Hangzhou’s development positioning as a “heritage city”. This is a new concept he is researching – “heritage” not only refers to natural ecological landscapes, material and intangible historical and cultural relics, but also includes contemporary creations that are being nurtured and growing. The city is intertwined with the heritage of the past, while also constantly witnessing the birth of a new ‘heritage’.
There is a ‘coupling gain’ effect between heritage and cities, “said Zhang Yinglan. This is the vitality of the famous historical and cultural city in Jiangnan, and it is also a vivid footnote to “vibrant Zhejiang”.
Zhang Yinglan and Hangzhou first met in June 2009, when the scenery was different from the four seasons. At the venue of the “Cultural Heritage Day” main city event, the picturesque West Lake is a natural background. ‘Run’ is the first impression that the Jiangnan water town gave Zhang Yinglan: ‘Although they are all green, the green in Jiangnan is moist, as if the moisture of water can be felt on every leaf.’
Born in Xi’an, the ancient capital of the Thirteen Dynasties, Zhang Yinglan has carried out 13 years of field archaeological work in the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shihuang and the Terra Cotta Warriors Pit Site. Later, he also served as the deputy curator of the Terra Cotta Warriors Museum of the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty, the president of the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics Protection, and the president of the Xi’an Museum.
In 2016, Zhang Yinglan came to Zhejiang University and devoted herself to teaching and research with his solid theoretical reserves and practical experience in archaeology, cultural heritage, museums, and other fields.
In Zhang Yinglan’s eyes, the charm of “poetry and painting in Jiangnan” permeates the dynamic and moist landscape. Overlooking the West Lake, the water shines brightly, making people feel relaxed and happy, suddenly enlightened; Walking in the tea garden, the fragrance of tea is dense, and one can find peace and comfort in the bustle. Driving along the banks of the Fuchun River, witnessing Huang Gongwang’s “Dwelling in Fuchun Mountain” like ink painting slowly unfold before his eyes, made him feel that “poetic landscapes” are the source of “poetic culture” in Jiangnan.
He believes that the humanistic relationship between the mountains and rivers in Jiangnan is idealized in “mood and taste”. Scholars and literati here forget about the scenery and express their emotions through it. As Wang Xizhi exclaimed in the Shanyin area of Kuaiji, Shaoxing, “Although there is no flourishing of silk, bamboo, and wind strings, one cup of wine and one chant are enough to vividly narrate the love story
Even in the design of ancient southern gardens in China, the emphasis was placed on ‘comparing mountains and rivers to virtues’, expressing personal interests, emotions, and spiritual pursuits through the clever layout of elements such as mountains and stones, bamboo and wood, flowers and plants, and water. This kind of attention to the “humanized true color” may be precisely the poetic and picturesque essence of Jiangnan culture.
An archaeologist’s gaze can penetrate the static scenery and dusty objects, and see the stories and poetry behind historical and cultural heritage.
Once, a bowl of white rice cooked with fresh rice made Zhang Yinglan unforgettable. From the small new grains of rice, he remembered the Shangshan Cultural Site in Pujiang – an archaeological site that had unearthed rice farming agricultural relics 10000 years ago, revealing the origin of China’s rice farming culture; Also associated with Qingtian’s “rice fish symbiosis” system, it is Asia’s first world agricultural cultural heritage and a typical interpretation of the concept of “harmonious coexistence between humans and nature”.
Zhang Yinglan used Su Shi’s “light makeup and thick makeup are always suitable” to describe the imprint left by the ever-growing Zhejiang culture – the Liangzhu Ancient City Site confirms the 5000 year history of Chinese civilization, the Yijincheng Site reveals the prosperity of the Wu and Yue states, and the Lin’an City Site precipitates the clouds of Beijing in the Southern Song Dynasty… Little by little, they are precious treasures of Chinese civilization.
Now, Zhang Yinglan is delighted to see that Zhejiang is continuing to write new poems on cultural heritage with full vitality.
From the free opening of West Lake to the successful operation of the Liangzhu Site Management Committee, to the active construction of the “Thousand Rural Museums”, Zhang Yinglan was deeply impressed by Zhejiang’s “ideas” and “boldness” in the protection, inheritance, and utilization of cultural heritage. He said, “This’ vitality ‘not only enables these sites, ancient buildings, and cultural relics to be recognized and understood by the public, but also enables these heritage sites, which have been separated from modern life, to exert a cultural driving force in contemporary times
More importantly, the driving force of culture will be derived from endogenous cultural confidence, injecting strong spiritual momentum into social development.
To build a provincial brand of “Poetry and Painting Jiangnan, Vital Zhejiang”, from the perspective of heritage revitalization, Zhang Yinglan proposes three ideas: “differentiation”, “sustainability”, and “integration”. Not only should we focus on regional characteristics, but we also need to persevere and have a mindset and determination of “deep cultivation and slow cultivation”. The public attribute of cultural heritage has been repeatedly emphasized by him – it should not be too high or too low, but rather “grounded” and “touching”, so that the results can ultimately be shared by everyone.
Initially, she was the ‘other’, but now Zhang Yinglan affectionately refers to Hangzhou as’ my city ‘. In the future, this northwest person plans to stay in Jiangnan, where he falls in love. Intern journalist Tu Jiayu