Also because of "Tan Palace" and because of Ning Weimin, the atmosphere of the Beijing Art Red Lantern Factory is also very different from the past.
Since we sold the overstocked inventory last year, we have received a large number of subsequent palace lantern orders from "Tan Palace".
Hu Kuanfu, secretary of the palace lantern factory, and Xu Pingzhi, director of the factory, not only no longer have to hide from employees who reimburse medical expenses, but they also no longer have to drink "Flower Triangle" worth two yuan and a pound.
They finally lived the good life they had dreamed of, being able to drink "welfare tea" for seven yuan a pound.
In addition, participating in the opening ceremony of the "Altar Palace" also allowed them to discover that Ning Weimin spared no effort in interior decoration, and realized new business opportunities from the hand-painted murals by teachers and students of the Academy of Fine Arts.
So after that meal, starting from September 1983, they focused on the already scheduled renovation project of "Beishen Kitchen" and began to try to revive the wallpaper and mural business that the factory had abandoned for more than ten years.
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Speaking of wallpaper murals in Beijing, they were first produced in the early twentieth century.
At that time, Wenshengzhai Lamp and Fan Painting Shop, which specialized in palace lanterns, gauze lanterns, calligraphy and painting, and was established in Langfang Toutiao outside Zhengyangmen, was the first to discover the habit of foreigners to decorate their living rooms and bedrooms with wallpapers painted with various patterns.
I asked the painter to create it with reference to our country's traditional painting style and artistic characteristics.
The biggest difference between Wenshengzhai's wallpaper murals and ordinary Western wallpapers is that they inherit and carry forward our country's traditional painting style on the basis of being cheap, easy to post and easy to replace.
For example, the earliest people to participate in the design and drawing of murals include Wu Zhongsan from Qing Ruyi Hall, and well-known folk painters such as Kou Shuangshou.
The first set of lady murals and the first set of flower murals launched by Wenshengzhai that year were painted using the meticulous and heavy-color techniques of traditional Chinese painting.
Due to its delicate lines, elegant and bright colors, and rich and gorgeous artistic effect, it quickly attracted attention in the international market and became popular.
In the early 1930s, Wenshengzhai's wallpapers and murals had become a hot commodity in the United States, Britain, Italy, France and other countries, and many merchants made special trips to Beijing to place orders.
Moreover, with the increase in export volume, it also promoted the overall prosperity of the wallpaper and mural industry in Beijing and spread rapidly.
From the 1930s to the 1940s, there were Qin Industrial and Commercial Bank, Zhenji Antique Shop, Yihexing, Pujuzhai, Linji Foreign and Trade Co., Ltd., etc., and they successively joined this emerging arts and crafts industry, and many artists were engaged in it.
There were more than three hundred people.
The Oriental Art Company, established in 1942, is even a manufacturer specializing in the design and production of murals.
Its products are exclusively distributed by Glass Company of the United States.
It should be said that because of their practicality and artistry, the wallpaper murals in Beijing are very likely to develop into decorative products that sell well overseas and have the characteristics of our Chinese civilization.
But after the 1940s, this good momentum came to an abrupt end, and the war seriously affected the sales of wallpaper and murals in the capital.
As a result, the lives of those working in the relevant industries are in the miserable situation of "having a living to eat, but not having to earn a living to beg for food."
On the eve of liberation, all industries in the capital were in depression, and the wallpaper and mural industry was on the verge of extinction.
Thanks to 1956, the government organized artists from the wallpaper, mural and palace lantern making industries to establish the Beijing Art Red Lantern Factory.
The factory resumed wallpaper and mural production only in the fourth quarter of 1957, and was operated and exported by Beijing Special Arts Company.
But soon the sixties came again.
It is a pity that due to well-known special factors, this unique industrial and artistic product unique to Beijing has to be discontinued again.
And this pause will last twenty years. Even if overseas demand increases day by day, it will still be useless.
If it hadn't been for the appearance of the "Tan Palace" restaurant, or if it hadn't been for Ning Weimin's inspiration to ask teachers and students from art schools to paint on the walls.
I'm afraid no one in the art red light factory can think of this niche product that only overseas wealthy people like.
So from this perspective, it’s thanks to the butterfly effect produced by Ning Weimin.
This gives the capital's unique wallpapers and murals a chance to continue to survive and not completely disappear into history.
As for how to resume production specifically.
What is a great blessing among misfortunes is that most of the old people in the factory who know this craft are still alive.
Hu Kuanfu and Xu Pingzhi personally came forward and invited these old craftsmen to come out one by one.
Don't even think about retirement, these people haven't done this job for twenty years.
But three bad generals can defeat Zhuge Liang.
These old craftsmen gathered together to reminisce, discuss and ponder together.
The basic production technology has really been put together gradually like a puzzle.
In this way, by early November 1983, the "Flowers of the Four Seasons" wallpaper mural by the Palace Lantern Factory was successfully produced.
There was finally a finished product that could be shown to Ning Weimin.
It must be said that the technical foundation of the Palace Lantern Factory is still very good.
The four-season flower wallpapers they painted are colorful, fragrant and have a unique charm.
The effect is no worse than the serious murals made by teachers and students of the Academy of Fine Arts. Ning Weimin liked it very much at first sight.
Especially when he learned that this wallpaper was composed of several banners.
The width, length, and even picture content of each set can be specified according to actual needs.
And no matter how big the panoramic view is, as long as the various pieces are spliced together, a complete picture can be formed.
He was even more surprised.
Because this is as convenient as the wallpaper of later generations.
He dared to say that if there is still something like this thirty years later, it will definitely become the first choice material for Chinese-style hall decoration.
As for the cost, there is no problem at all.
Even if the palace lantern factory gritted its teeth and shouted out, the sharpening price was only fifteen or six yuan per square meter.
It was much cheaper than Ning Weimin to hire teachers and students from the Academy of Fine Arts, less than one-third of the cost of the altar palace murals.
A wall of more than ten square meters needs to be framed, and the price is barely worth the price of an official table sold by Ning Weimin.
The most important thing is that this thing is very efficient in construction.
These wallpapers can be painted in advance and then framed on the wall.
There is no need to let the artists rush to work in an environment where there are explosions of dirt and smoke like when the second floor of the "Altar Palace" was being renovated.
That was too hard and too humiliating.
The only flaw is that the material of this wallpaper is too fragile.
Because the palace lantern factory uses rice paper, the most traditional, cheapest, and most convenient material for pasting.
What Ning Weimin is worried about is that this thing is not only easy to get dirty, but also easy to break. If you sprinkle some water or wine on it, it will be ruined.
Therefore, in order to avoid this problem, the palace lantern factory must continue to carry out technical research.
It would be best if they could restore the higher-end silk painting production methods that they had mastered during the heyday of wallpaper and murals in the past year.
Only in this way can we cater to the needs of Ning Weimin and catch up with the progress of the "North God Kitchen" decoration project.
But even so, the efforts and achievements made by the Palace Lantern Factory were enough to move Ning Weimin and respect them.
So he let it go, as long as the silk painting was really done.
Most of the interior decoration of the 6,000 to 7,000 square meters of walls of "Northern God Kitchen" can be completed by the Palace Lantern Factory.
As a result, the whole palace lantern factory was greatly stimulated, which was almost like a shot of chicken blood.
No, under the joint supervision of Hu Kuanfu and Xu Pingzhi, the palace lantern factory's research team spent two months in a row, lighting lamps and boiling oil through repeated tests, and had already made the materials of Nanfan silk and foreign textiles as well as the special glue matching the materials.
about there.
But from a technical point of view, these cloths need to be dyed into various colors before painting can be done.
There are still some technical problems with the dyeing pigments and fixing agents used, as well as whether it can be painted first and then mounted.
So on January 24, Hu Kuanfu, the secretary of the Palace Lantern Factory, and Xu Pingzhi, the factory director, called together all the relevant technical backbones for a mobilization meeting.
I hope everyone can work together to overcome the technical difficulties.
"...Now we have a golden opportunity before us, which is the second phase of the Tan Palace - the interior decoration project of Beishen Kitchen. The area of this place is larger than the two-story building on Tiantan North Road.
There will definitely be large-scale banquets in the future. The wall area is at least 6,000 square meters. If we get it, the wallpaper and mural alone will be a large order of 100,000 yuan."
"Moreover, this project is not only cost-effective in economic terms, but its social influence cannot be underestimated. Everyone should know how famous the 'Tan Palace' restaurant is now. It is already as famous as Beihai Fangshan Restaurant and Tingli Restaurant.
When Beishen Kitchen opens, there will definitely be more reports from reporters."
"It is precisely because we participated in the last project that the sales of high-quality palace lanterns in the factory have expanded a lot. The other two palace restaurants did not want to be pulled down by 'Tan Palace' and began to order high-end lanterns from our factory. Even Sichuan Restaurant
Come and ask for our palace lantern types and quotations.”
"What does this mean? It means that this "Altar Palace" is indeed a key project in the district, and it is indeed a project invested by Pierre-Carton Company. As long as we can participate in the decoration project of this restaurant, we will gain both fame and fortune."
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"If our wallpaper really becomes famous this time, then our factory will have two competitive products in the future, which will definitely bring our factory's income to a higher level."
"How about it? Let's all express our opinions. For our factory and for everyone's good days in the future, are you willing to temporarily sacrifice yourself? In the three days of the New Year, show some dedication and carry out the
Half of the silk painting techniques have been thoroughly perfected. Seize this opportunity?"
Secretary Hu Kuanfu spoke first. The issues he described were objective and his analysis of the situation was clear.
However, due to the characteristics of his job, his long speeches were full of great truths and were too high-sounding.
So that everyone's mood was not high.
What's more, the three-day holiday during the Spring Festival is too important. It means a lot in this era.
Everyone has been working hard and frugally for a year, and they are just looking forward to pampering their stomachs and living a good life with plenty of food and fish in these few days.
How could you be willing to lose this opportunity for family fun?
So when I should have responded, I was silent.
Everyone was very hesitant, and many people recited the "bow fast".
This made Hu Kuanfu unable to come to the stage and sighed in disappointment.
Fortunately, I still have Xu Pingzhi as my partner. He quickly added something more and his words were much more down-to-earth than Hu Kuanfu.
"Hey, to be honest, Secretary Hu and I are actually very intolerant. At this time, we ask everyone to work overtime and give up celebrating the New Year with their families. It is really unkind."
"But the problem is that to seize this opportunity, we have to race against time. If we miss this opportunity, we will lose a lot of profits in the future. It will even make all our current efforts meaningless. Because except for the 'Tan Palace'
Project, there is no chance for our wallpapers and murals to shine. But they won’t wait for us. If the technology we finally recovered cannot be put to use, wouldn’t everyone’s hard work be in vain?”
"Comrades, don't blame me for telling the truth. Our factory is no longer the same as it was when we worked well and badly for a month. The state has long since stopped caring about us. Although the state is still responsible for our wages, even if the factory loses money, it will not
There will be a shortage. But if we can't make the factory prosperous by ourselves, don't even think about the benefits and various reimbursements. Everyone is reminiscing. What kind of life did we live before we didn't have the customer 'Tan Gong'? Do you still think about it?
Go back to that time?"
"In the past, we always said that two-thirds of the world's people were still in dire straits. Now looking back, we are the ones who are in dire straits. Secretary Hu and I didn't dare to compare ourselves with Bu Xinsheng, but we sincerely
We are afraid of poverty, and we all want to lead everyone to live a good life. With our conditions, what else can we do if we want to live a good life? There is only one thing: to endure hardships, you can be a good person."
"Let me make a statement here. During the three days of the Spring Festival, Secretary Hu and I will work in the factory all day, and we will try our best to arrange coordination and logistics support for everyone. As for those of you who are willing to work overtime, not only the factory will give you overtime
There is a fee, and there will be compensatory leave afterwards.”
Not to mention, this time in addition to courtesy and reason, there was also benefit. Xu Pingzhi didn't waste his words and finally impressed everyone a little bit.
Someone said, "Okay, since the secretary and the factory director have said so, we are not ungrateful people. If you work overtime during holidays, you can count me in. But if you work for three days, I can't keep up with my wife and children."
Explain? No matter what, you have to leave the New Year’s Day to me, right?”
As soon as these words came out, there was a burst of laughter.
Others said, "Secretary, factory director, you are willing to set an example and take the lead in working overtime. We admire you. It is rare to have cadres like you two. But the emperor is not short of hungry soldiers. We have to ask clearly, how much overtime pay will we pay? If we
I really perfected the technology in advance and the factory got the order. Is there any extra bonus?"
Then there was a lot of noise.
"Director, I think there should be additional bonuses..."
"Secretary, by the way, you said just now that you will make up for the rest. How many days will it be made up for? Can we choose the days ourselves?"
To be honest, Hu Kuanfu and Xu Pingzhi felt both happy and conflicted at the same time.
Fortunately, everyone finally spoke up, which brought them one step closer to their goal of success.
Paradoxically, they did not expect that everyone's additional requirements would not be easily met.
However, just when they were about to make further calculations, something unexpected happened.
The door opened, and several elderly people suddenly walked in.
This immediately made all the noise disappear without a trace.
"Master Zhao, Master Liu, Master Huang, what are you doing?"
The visitors, Hu Kuanfu and Xu Pingzhi, knew each other well. They were both retired masters from the factory.
"Secretary Hu, Director Xu, we don't need these gangsters anymore. Our old brothers will come over to help us during the Chinese New Year, okay?"
"Yes, we don't want overtime pay. We don't even want the factory to take care of our food. We will provide it ourselves."
"We are angry outside the door. The factory is pointing fingers at these young people. They don't love the factory at all. They are all white-eyed wolves..."
The words of these old masters immediately made the young people blush, and some even called them "masters."
The old masters were so arrogant that they no longer recognized their apprentices.
One even said, "Don't call me master, I don't have you as my apprentice. After working overtime, you dare to negotiate conditions with the factory. How capable you are! You are so capable now, I have to call you master."
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At this time, it was Hu Kuanfu and Xu Pingzhi who spoke for the young people.
They explained to the old masters that the current policy is that the more work you do, the more you will get, and pure dedication is no longer a concern.
Of course workers cannot work in vain, they must also receive material rewards.
But the old men are stubborn and don't recognize this truth at all.
Master Zhao said, "Speaking of material rewards, yes. But it also depends on the score. How difficult is it for our factory now? This is the time when we need to work together to overcome the difficulties. Is there no water in the big rivers, can there be water in the small rivers? Is it possible that the factory has water?
Okay, will everyone's life get worse? You don't understand this little bit of truth? What's more, the factory is collective, and I've never heard of people working for their own families and imposing conditions? This is called blackmail, adding insult to injury."
Master Liu also said, "It was not easy for our ancestors to figure out a craft that could impress foreigners but not be comparable to them. Now, with great difficulty, we have the opportunity to revive this craft and restore the prosperity of the factory."
.What a great thing! Are we shrinking back just because it’s the end of the year? How selfish is this? Is it worthy of our ancestors? I would like to ask them who taught them their craftsmanship and they paid for it for us.
Have you paid tuition?”
Another person sneered, "Tuition fees? Who of us didn't get this ability by being beaten and tortured? It's the ability to live in peace and support our family. Can they give us a few dollars in exchange for it? We are doing it to the country.
We only teach them to support our factory. Who cares about them? It’s not me. The society in the past was dark and can temper people. Today’s society is better, and it can be taught and cultivated.
Young Master Yangzi is not good at anything. Are they worthy of being workers?"
The conversation naturally turned back to the first person to speak, Master Zhao.
"This is a rat's litter. One litter is worse than the next. Secretary, factory director, today's young people have lived a good life for too long. They have forgotten the difficulties of the past. They have forgotten their roots. As long as you don't think we are old
, let’s do this. We old guys don’t want material rewards. We just need to be worthy of the factory that has supported us for decades, and we have to be worthy of our industry. We hope that the factory will prosper again and that our factory will be owned by everyone.
People's lives can be made easier..."
When saying these words, the eye circles of several old masters turned red one after another.
This made the young people at the scene want to bury their heads in the ground.
But they couldn't help but be convinced.
Because when it comes to character, technology, and contribution, once the workers of the 1950s come, workers of the younger generation can no longer stand.
They were all outclassed.
The shining points of these old workers are like gold sand, like pearls, like water droplets in the desert.
It's amazing, enviable, admirable, and impossible to ignore.