Yangchengshengtieyezhujiyi
01 · Historical Records
Pig-iron smelting and casting were born in China in the 6th century BC, at least 16 centuries earlier than in Europe; from that beginning, China gradually formed a system of iron and steel smelting techniques very different from that of the West, creating a splendid Iron Age and iron-and-steel civilization. At the height of plowshare mirror casting, annual output exceeded 700,000 pieces, which were exported as far as Nepal, Vietnam, Korea, and other countries. In the 1960s, Taiyuan University of Technology conducted on-the-spot investigation and physicochemical analysis of the Yangcheng pig-iron smelting and casting craft. From the 1980s onward, alongside the socioeconomic transition and the spread of mechanized plowing, the production of Yangcheng plowshare mirrors gradually shrank; by the late 1990s the smelting and casting workshops had all ceased production, craftsmen and casting equipment were severely dispersed and lost, and rescue and protection were urgently needed.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Yangcheng in Shanxi Province lies in the Zhongtiao Mountains and is an important surviving site of China's pig-iron smelting and casting technique; the techniques of plow-furnace iron smelting and the iron-mold casting of plowshare mirrors are particularly outstanding. Yangcheng produces rich iron ore in abundance, and the ore lies close to the surface. In smelting and casting, the mined ore is first crushed, then roasted at high temperature to remove the sulfur, and only then may it be charged into the furnace. The plow furnace (lilu) is a Chinese-style shaft furnace, composed of the hearth, the furnace cavity, the furnace shaft, and the support frame; its inner cavity is curved, giving it the advantages of smooth airflow and favorable furnace running, while charcoal made from fine local timbers such as jiangmu is used as both fuel and reducing agent in smelting. Smelting follows a complete and mature set of procedures; relying on many years of experience, the masters skillfully judge the furnace conditions, the heat, and the quality of the molten iron by such methods as observing the color of the flame and testing the iron melt, grasping precisely the chemical composition and temperature of the molten iron. The method of testing the molten iron is a consummate skill: the smelting master ladles a small spoonful of iron from the taphole and, observing its color and the changes in its surface pattern, can determine its quality. The plowshare mirror (lijing) is Yangcheng's famous-brand product and an important fitting of the walking plow (buli). Yangcheng plowshare mirrors are cast directly from raw molten iron, a practice very rare in the world. The casting uses gray cast iron as the raw material and is made in clay molds. A single iron mold can be used upward of a thousand times, and the plowshare mirrors cast with it are sturdy, durable, and labor-saving, and are deeply welcomed by farmers.
The plough furnace
A Chinese shaft furnace of hearth, cavity, shaft and timber frame, its curved interior keeping the blast smooth and the burden moving well.
Crushing and roasting the ore
The ore is crushed and roasted to drive off sulphur before charging, and the shallow deposits let crushing and roasting sit close to the furnaces.
Mould-casting the plough disc
The plough disc is cast between two matched iron moulds that are opened after pouring, a pair lasting dozens of pours without warping.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Yangcheng in Shanxi Province lies in the Zhongtiao Mountains and is an important surviving site of China's pig-iron smelting and casting technique, the techniques of plow-furnace iron smelting and the iron-mold casting of plowshare mirrors being particularly outstanding; Yangcheng produces rich iron ore in abundance, and the ore lies close to the surface. The plow furnaces of Yangcheng continue to use jiangmu (a local hardwood) for their support frames; furnace clusters are concentrated around the villages and market towns within the county, and the products are chiefly plows, plowshare mirrors, pots, and plowshares. The Yangcheng County Cultural Center serves as the project's protecting unit.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Shengtieyezhujiyi · Shengtieyezhujiyi.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Ji Zhuazua (official archive record of an associated inheritor): Male, of the Han ethnic group, born in 1946, a native of Yangcheng, Shanxi. Representative inheritor of the Yangcheng Pig-Iron Smelting and Casting Craft, a project in the first batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage. Ji Zhuazua began in 1964 as an odd-job worker and machine keeper at the Plow Furnace Cooperative, learning smelting and casting from his uncle Zhang Suoming; in 1976 he formally became a plow-furnace worker; from 1977 he served successively as furnace head in Honglu, Majia, and other places, until plow-furnace production ceased in 1984. With many years of accumulated experience, he is able to repair plow furnaces and gauge the large furnace mouth, judging the heat and the color of the water by eye alone. He has also continually improved upon the traditional smelting and casting process, with notable success especially in the improvement of the fengshi and the furnace chamber. In recent years, teachers and students of Shanxi Institute of Technology and technical personnel of the Industry Division of the Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Commune-and-Brigade Industry have repeatedly sought out Ji Zhuazua to join him in studying and discussing issues such as the production process for plowshare mirrors and improvements to the plow furnace. Ji Zhuazua currently has two apprentices, both of whom have fully mastered the technique.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Jizhuazhu 01-0155
- Wang Yecai 05-2745
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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