Fireworks production techniques (tiger fire in nanzhangjing)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: fireworks and firecracker making skills (nanzhangjing tiger fire)

Applicant: Jingxing County, Hebei Province

Project No.: 436

Project No.: VIII - 86

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Hebei Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Jingxing County, Hebei Province

Protection unit: Jingxing County Cultural Center

Brief introduction of fireworks and firecrackers production technology (nanzhangjing tiger fire)

Applicant: Jingxing County, Hebei Province

China is the first country to invent gunpowder in the world. Fireworks made of gunpowder also have a long history and enjoy high reputation in the world. The record of firecracker can be found in the book of Jingchu's age in the southern and Northern Dynasties, which describes the custom of firecracker in front of the court to avoid evil spirits when the cock crows. At that time, the so-called firecracker actually burned the bamboo tube, causing the air in the tube to heat up and burst. After Sui and Tang Dynasties, gunpowder was loaded into bamboo tube instead. In Song Dynasty, the abandoned bamboo tube was replaced by paper wrapped gunpowder. String of small firecrackers, commonly known as "firecrackers", have appeared in Hangzhou, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty. According to the records of old stories in Wulin, this kind of firecracker rings continuously after it is ignited to the end. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there were many kinds of firecrackers, such as the double sound thunderbolt, the rising three waves, the two kicks, the flying ten rings and so on. Modern firecrackers are further developed and perfected in type and technology, forming a complete production system, including single sound, double sound, serial sound, firecrackers, firecrackers and other varieties, as well as various technologies such as reel, barrel cutting, bottom pasting, mud filling, gunpowder priming and hole sealing.

Fireworks, also known as "fireworks" and "fireworks", began in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, flourished in the Song Dynasty, and became popular in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the Tang Dynasty, "gunpowder and fireworks" appeared, which can show melons and fruits, animals, ghosts and other patterns. In the Southern Song Dynasty, shelf fireworks were very popular. According to Wanshu Zaji, there are many kinds of fireworks in Beijing in Ming Dynasty. The paper letter is called "flower tube", the mud letter is called "casserole", and the bamboo basket letter is called "flower box", which can show various patterns such as ribbon bird, grape trellis, pearl curtain, and long-term lamp. In the Qing Dynasty, Ji Sheng said that the fireworks in the capital at that time were "filled with several stories in the brocade box, and the characters were like Sheng, Ling and flowers and plants. The color of fireworks is mainly made of gunpowder and different chemicals, such as sodium salt is yellow, potassium salt is purple, strontium salt is red, barium salt is green and copper salt is blue.

Fireworks and firecrackers in China are mainly produced in Liuyang of Hunan, Wanzai and Pingxiang of Jiangxi, Dongguan of Guangdong and Pucheng and Yangxian of Shaanxi. Among them, shelf fireworks were well-known in the Song Dynasty. At present, they are rarely used, so it is urgent to protect and inherit them in order to promote their continuous development.

It is said that the fireworks art of nanzhangjing in Jingxing County, Hebei Province was acquired by Zhang Jinglin's ancestors in Shanxi Province in 1662, the first year of Kangxi in Qing Dynasty. The local custom of setting off fireworks has been handed down from generation to generation in memory of this master. From the late Qing Dynasty to the founding of the people's Republic of China, fireworks in nanzhangjing village had always been the finale of the Lantern Festival in the county, known as "official fire".

The production of fireworks in nanzhangjing takes gunpowder as the core. The steps are to split the dried willow, burn it into charcoal, sprinkle water in the urn, and then cover it with wet cloth. After air drying, sprinkle the wine and grind it into blocks with stone mill; after air drying again, grind it with rolling pin and sift through the basket, and then mix it with nitrate and sulfur. There are more than 120 kinds of fireworks in nanzhangjing, including "fire", "pot fire", "umbrella fire", "tiger fire", "story of the Three Kingdoms" and "old stick fire". Among them, the old fire pole is four feet and eight feet high, with 21 lines of fire under it. On the pole, there are fireworks patterns such as "grape fire", "Twelve lights", "master opens the door", "star anise green dragon" and "crane through egg" in turn, as well as the contents related to the stories of the Three Kingdoms. The main raw materials used in the production of fireworks are ash, nitrate, sulfur, etc. When setting off, without waiting for the fireworks to fall to the ground, the burning point has passed, so the safety factor is very high.

Nanzhangjing fireworks show the traditional fireworks production skills and the development level of fireworks in Ming and Qing Dynasties, which has the research value of folklore, science and technology history. At present, due to the strengthened control of fireworks production by the state and the backward economy of nanzhangjing village, fireworks have not been set off for more than ten years. There are only three old pyrotechnics craftsmen left in the village. Many pyrotechnics have been lost and need to be rescued and protected.

Chinese PinYin : Yan Huo Bao Zhu Zhi Zuo Ji Yi Nan Zhang Jing Lao Hu Huo