Heritage
With the advent of modern architecture methods, the ancient Huizhou brick carving skills were in danger of becoming obsolete; but with the development of people’s livelihood and the economy they have been revived. More and more people are aware of the value of traditional construction. As one of the most popular tourist destinations in China, Huangshan City wants to showcase its history through Huizhou-style buildings and the related arts like brick carving. Fang was delighted to see the new trend. “The art of brick carving should be part of a living society, otherwise it will disappear. Today, art should not stagnate in its original position. It should aim high at the international market, and then develop further.”
Fang set up the Fang’s Brick Carving Studio in 2003 and the Xinzhong Artistic Brick Carving Factory in 2007 to provide optimum conditions for his apprentices, allowing them to focus on practice and experiment with bold innovations in tools and techniques.
Fang also cooperates with Xingzhi Middle School. Every day, he gets up at three a.m. to work. At seven, he rides his electric bicycle to the school, an hour’s drive from his house in Wangchong Village. He especially hopes his son Fang Mengle will carry on his work. But Mengle, a seaman, has his own dreams. However, he admitted that the ancient skill of brick carving has a stronger and stronger attraction. He used to take up his father’s tools and after three years’ practice could do quite a good job. He said maybe someday he would give up the sea and come back home to follow in his father’s footsteps.
“Passing on the art of Huizhou-style brick carving is my responsibility and goal,” Fang said, calmly but with conviction.
People Profile:
Fang Xinzhong was born in Shanghai in 1949 but he spent his formative years in the countryside of Shexian County, Huangshan City in Anhui Province, where he taught himself traditional wood and bamboo carving. At the age of 36, he joined the Shexian Huizhou Classical Landscape Architecture Company, and embarked on a career in brick carving. Over three decades, Fang inherited and developed the traditional techniques of Huizhou-style brick carving, participating in projects for the Jingjue Temple, Li Xiangjun Former Residence Museum, and the President Palace in Nanjing. His talents were recognized abroad, too: He was commissioned to create all the brick carvings for the Chunhua Garden, a Huizhou-style construction in Frankfurt. In 2007 he was entered into China’s first list of inheritors of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
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