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The historical evolution of Longquan sword
Source: | Author:zhenshi | Published time: 2020-03-06 | 916 Views | Share:
Longquan sword has a long history and is well-known at home and abroad. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period, Ou Yezi made his sword at the foot of Qinxi Mountain in Longquan. "The History of Baiyue Sages" contained: Ou Yezi "chiseled the Cishan Mountain, Xieqixi, took Tieying from the mountain, and made three swords: "Longyuan", "Taea", and "Gongbu"". The original name of Longquan was Longyuan, which was named after the sword. The Tang Dynasty tabooed "Yuan" and changed its name to Longquan. The sword of Longquan became famous all over the world, and Longquan also became the name of the sword.

The originator, Ou Yezi, was a Vietnamese from the late Spring and Autumn Period and the early Warring States Period, and the founder of Longquan Baojian. When Ou Yezi was born, it was a period of disputes among the nations of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. He discovered the difference between the properties of copper and iron, and smelted and forged the first iron sword-"Long Yuan", creating a precedent for cold weapons in China.

"The Book of Yue Jue" records: The king of Chu ordered Feng Huo to find Ou Yezi in Yuedi and asked him to make a sword. So Ou Yezi traveled to the famous mountains and rivers in the south of the Yangtze River, looking for places where Tieying, Cold Spring and Bright Stone could be produced. Only when these three things are available can he forge a sharp sword. Finally, he came to Longquan. After two years, he finally made three swords: the first one is called "Longyuan", the second one is called "Tai'a", and the third one is called "work cloth". These three swords cut copper and iron, like cutting mud and removing soil. The king of Chu was overjoyed when he saw the sword and gave this place the "Jianchi Lake". As the past is more than a thousand years old, Ou Yezi's sword-making skills have been deeply rooted in Longquan and passed on from generation to generation until today. In order to commemorate Ou Yezi, the originator of Longquan's sword, descendants built the "Jianchi Pavilion" and "General Ouyezi Temple" in Jianchi Lake, shaping the bronze statue of Ouyezi and becoming a thousand-year-old monument.

During the Warring States period, the sword was popular in the army as an infantry weapon and was highly valued. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the ring-handled knife suitable for chopping gradually replaced the sword. Since then, Longquan Sword has faded out of the war and carried the connotation of sword culture. From the Spring and Autumn Period to the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, wars and social turbulence continued, and the sword-making industry was affected by it. But the Longquan Sword Casting Industry has been flowing firmly and persistently like the Oujiang River, leaving traces on the historical riverbed of sword culture. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, Longquan's sword casting industry was dedicated to casting swords for the royal family. From the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Jin Dynasty, the sword-making industry in Longquan was promoted by the rapid population growth and the southward shift of the cultural center of gravity. The sword-making industry was relatively developed and had a certain scale. In the Tang Dynasty, every famous sword must be called "Longquan", and Longquan has become synonymous with swords.

In the Northern Song Dynasty, the then prime minister of Longquan, He Zhizhong (1044-1118), strongly advocated sword-making. The sword-making industry in the ancient city of Longquan flourished for a time, and sword shops were everywhere. This became another heyday after the Ouyezi era. In the Yuan and Ming dynasties, the sword-making industry followed from generation to generation in Longquan. The "Wanjian Villa" in Hong Kong still cherishes Longquan swords from the Yuan and Ming dynasties.

During the period of the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, the swordsmiths of Longquan made great efforts in the quality, sword clothing and cultural connotation of the sword. The unique craftsmanship of the sword of Longquan was further promoted and it was widely favored by martial arts lovers and art connoisseurs. In 1915, at the Panama Universal Exposition held in San Francisco, the Longquan sword was listed as an award-winning handicraft to win glory for the country; in the autumn of 1930, Longquan sword participated in the national martial arts competition, because of its superior sword quality, it was named the best sword and was listed as a prize. , Presented to the winner of martial arts performance. "China Industry History" published in 1933 contains:

"Longquan County can produce more than two swords each year, each with a value ranging from one yuan to more than one hundred yuan, with an annual output value of about 8,000 yuan, which is sold in Wenzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Zhejiang counties."

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the People’s Government attached great importance to the inheritance of the historical traditional skill of Longquan Sword. Under the care of Premier Zhou Enlai, the production of Longquan Sword, a traditional handicraft, was resumed in 1956, and all the folk swordsmiths in Longquan County were restored. Gather together to form a sword production team (cooperative). Since the Longquan sword became famous all over the world, the country included it in the national ritual, and the long vicissitudes of Longquan sword casting industry was revived.

In 1976, Longquan Sword Club was renamed Longquan Sword Factory, Zhejiang Province. In 1979 and 1984, it registered the trademark "Longquan Sword" and "Dragon Phoenix Seven Stars". The development of Longquan Sword took a rapid pace. With the popularity of Longquan swords, Longquan swords are in short supply in the market, and people are proud of owning a Longquan sword. Many political, martial arts, and literary circles have come to customize it. In 1984, Chinese weapons expert Wu Yunduo praised Longquan Sword Factory in a letter to Longquan Sword Factory: "The artist of the factory, a well-known master craftsman who is worthy of making swords, has unique ingenuity and can be called a hundred generations. Famous at home and abroad, this is the pride of our nation." Defense Minister Zhang Aiping purchased 250 Longquan swords as a national gift to international friends visiting China at Longquan Sword Factory, and inscribed for Longquan Sword Factory.

After the Longquan Sword Factory was restructured in 2003, the new sword-making team headed by Master Zhang Yesheng began to make high-grade adjustments to the quality, culture, market, and goals of "Longquan Sword". The Zhujian team has devoted all of its energy, arduous entrepreneurship, and devoted a lot of manpower, material resources and energy. Through ten years of hard work, Longquan Baojian’s brand influence has been significantly improved, with standardized management and obvious benefits. It has a significant impact on the production, production, management, and management of the entire brand. Sales and culture have been fully and comprehensively operated. More than 16,000 square meters of new factories have been built, and the area of the factory has doubled by 10 times. The restoration of ancient sword culture and the revitalization of the brand have made it a "national industrial tourism demonstration site", and it is AA-level in Lishui City. The scenic spot is a production base showing the history, culture and craftsmanship of Longquan sword. In 2011, the sales volume of output value ranked first in the sword industry.

In the peaceful and prosperous age, Longquan Sword has ushered in a real spring, and the sword casting industry is developing rapidly and healthily. Since its creation by Ou Yezi, the originator of the sword-making sword, Longquan Sword has gone through a long period of more than 2,600 years. Now, Longquan Sword has become a good tool for people's fitness and martial arts, a treasure for living and working in peace, to watch and give to friends. Treasures. The famous contemporary calligrapher Jiang Dongshu has a poem to praise: "For Fu Longquan Ancient Sword Chapter, Qingfeng three feet to show the wonders. The majestic and majestic seven stars, the fierceness and the coldness of June. The iron and the test of the front and the melon break twice, and leap to try a bow. Bend. Yunzhong Ouye should smile, and win the first after quenching and forging strange skills."