Guang Jin Sheng Revives Meinong’s Paper Umbrella / 廣進勝紙傘
Guang Jin Sheng Revives Meinong's Paper Umbrella
◎English written by Peng Hsin-yi ◎Photos by Pao Chung-hui
Not long ago, paper umbrellas were no longer used and all but forgotten. However, due to Guang Jin Sheng, this delicate, colorful, traditional art form has made a comeback. In the 1970s, an article featuring Guang Jin Sheng's paper umbrellas was published in ECHO magazine (an English magazine published by Echo Publication featuring folk art, now discontinued). The story was then picked up by the BBC. The paper umbrellas received international recognition.
Shortly after this blitz of international media attention, a then unknown Taiwanese choreographer designed a dance performance, featuring Guang Jin Sheng's colorful umbrellas. Founder Mr. Lin Sianglin was so moved by his vision. He donated two paper umbrellas. The dance company emerged into the world famous Cloud Gate and the unknown choreographer was Mr. Lin Hwaimin. Mr. Lin Hwaimin was very touched by Mr. Lin Sianglin's generosity and support and dedicated the next performance to him. He then chose Meinong's Junior High School auditorium for the debut of their first cross Taiwan tour. The show featured the classic "Madam White Serpent", the very dance which had featured Guang Jin Sheng's umbrellas.
Today, Guang Jin Sheng is internationally recognized. The paper umbrellas are exported around the world and were even once used as a wedding theme in Spain. Guang Jin Sheng is now operated by Mr. Lin Sianglin's son Lin Rongjun. The workshop is decorated with Mr. Lin Sianglin's work and is a treasured family heirloom. Mr. Lin Rongjun has been making paper umbrellas now for twenty years and states even if he spent another twenty years doing this art, he could never match his father's skill.
Mr. Lin Rongjun remembers, as a child he hated the process of making glue for the umbrellas. The glue is produced by boiling tons of raw persimmons down to a tar-like color and texture. "You can't get rid of that sticky black stuff if it touches your clothes," he says. Yet as the son of an umbrella maker, he feels it is an important part of his heritage. Even despite the nightmarish glue making process, he feels a strong sense of duty to preserve this traditional art form. For years he watched Meinong's paper umbrellas lose their identity and eight years ago (at 45) returned home to take over the shop.
He now encourages his son to learn the trade, so one day he too can take over the family business. Mr. Lin Rongjun says the paper umbrellas are a traditional expression of culture and art. He insists on keeping the workshop and processes exactly the same as when his father toiled over the umbrellas. The only difference being, his parents made umbrellas for a living, whereas he makes umbrellas to preserve the tradition. "Culture cannot be passed down by mass copying," he says. He and his wife Wu Jianying both work hard to gain recognition and believe it is more of an art form than a handicraft. He believes in order for paper umbrellas to have a significant future, they must have high usability.
Paper umbrellas originated in China's Guangdong province; however, after the Cultural Revolution the umbrella industry was all eradicated. Today, Meinong's Guang Jin Sheng has become the name that represents paper umbrellas. His products are highly sought after in 26 retail outlets in Shanghai, and Mr. Lin has received numerous proposals to bring his workshop across the straits. However, he is adamant about staying in Taiwan. He says cultural heritage is not a commercial product and if one is not diligent about maintaining it, it will certainly be quickly lost forever. The Lin family feels privileged to have cultural heritage as a source of income and feel dutiful to preserve it for the rest of their lives.
廣進勝紙傘
◎文/侯雅婷 ◎照片提供/鮑忠暉
美濃廣進勝紙傘美麗的身影,早在1970年代,就已翩然躍進國際舞台。
遙記70年代,ECHO雜誌(漢聲英文雜誌)、BBC(英國國家廣播公司)專題介紹美濃廣進勝紙傘製程;當時,享譽國際的雲門舞集才剛起步,廣進勝第一代創始人林享麟疼惜雲門舞集總監林懷民身為舞蹈藝術家的辛苦,贈送紙傘作為道具,當時林懷民表示,有一天,要跳一齣舞給林享麟欣賞,也因此,雲門舞集的全台第一次下鄉公演就選在美濃國中,舞出經典之作「白蛇傳」。時至2011年,廣進勝紙傘妝點著遠在西班牙的婚禮會場。成立超過半世紀的廣進勝紙傘,延續著她的美麗與傳奇。
廣進勝紙傘工作室裏,陳列著林享麟的紙傘作品,第二代經營者林榮君視父親的這件作品為傳家寶,談起父親的傘藝,有20 年製傘經驗的他謙稱,他窮其畢生心力鑽研,也難以追趕得上。
回憶起兒時,每年端午節後,家裏會熬煮上千斤的青柿子,做為紙傘的黏著劑,「那黑黑黏黏的東西沾到衣服就洗不掉了。」林榮君談起這段熬柿子的過程像是揮之不去的夢魘。但是從小生長於製傘人家,他對製傘有很深的感情,因而有著別人沒有的使命感。8年前,45歲的他,因為無法放任美濃紙傘逐漸流失美濃的味道,因而返鄉,一肩扛起廣進勝紙傘的傳承。現在,在林榮君的鼓勵下,兒子開始學習製傘。
林榮君表示,紙傘是蘊含文藝的工藝,不適合被大剌剌的宣傳,因此連工作室都維持著父母親當年的樣子,他說,在他父親那個年代,製作紙傘是為了生活,現在則是為了保存傳統手工藝。正因為文化無法被大量複製,因此他和太太吳劍瑛努力將紙傘提升為「藝術品」,他認為只有堅持提升油紙傘精緻的品質,才能保存這項手工藝和藝術。
製傘工藝源於中國廣東,但在歷經文化大革命後消毀殆盡。廣進勝紙傘現於上海設有26處販售點,其精湛的紙傘工藝驚豔中國。林榮君說,海峽彼岸邀約不斷,但他堅持留在台灣。他提醒,一個不留意,我們就會失去這項工藝和文化。對他們而言,紙傘文化傳承如履薄冰,是使命、是責任,更是生活的一部份。