风筝的线不能断——访国家级非物质文化遗产传承人哈亦琦

风筝的发明与运用，在我国最早可以追溯到春秋战国时代，且多应用于军事领域。到唐五代时期，放风筝才成为一种供人健身娱乐的户外活动。当前，中国有以北京、天津、山东潍坊、江苏南通为主的四大风筝产地。当人们谈到北京风筝时，民间流传着“南城大沙燕，北城黑锅底”的俗语，其中“南城大沙燕”所说的是有着170余年传承历史的“哈氏风筝”，又称“风筝哈”。

“哈氏风筝”的创始人哈国梁通过研究摸索，在爱好的驱动下开始探索制作风筝的工艺。在随后的家族传承中，“哈氏风筝”的制作技艺不断完善，自成一格，不仅在当地颇有名气，更是蜚声海外。1915年“哈氏风筝”第二代传承人哈长英的四件风筝作品《蝴蝶》《蜻蜓》《仙鹤》《凤凰》在巴拿马万国博览会上荣获银奖。

作为“哈氏风筝”第四代传承人的哈亦琦在改革开放之初便潜心风筝技艺研究。他在风筝艺术风格创新，造型的几何化改造，风筝元素的现代性转化等诸多方面取得了颇多成果。近期，在北京师范大学图书馆举办的“国家级非物质文化遗产”之“哈氏风筝”校园行活动中，哈亦琦拿出自改革开放以来“哈氏风筝”三代传承人的作品，更有流传至海外的前两代人作品的复制品。除了大、中、小不同规格的风筝作品外，哈亦琦还展示了8副颇具代表性的风筝画谱供观者欣赏。“非物质文化遗产的传承是一个长久的工作，我们赶上了一个好时代，怎样才能不辜负政府、社会、民族和后人的期望，只有不断地学习、继承、创作和发展。”哈亦琦说。

“我”眼中的非遗传承

2008年“哈氏风筝”被列入国家级非物质文化遗产代表性项目名录，扎、糊、绘、放的艺术中凝聚着前人在实践中总结的经验智慧。作为国家级非物质文化遗产保护项目传承人的哈亦琦从自身经历出发，道出了他对非物质文化遗产的理解，“小时候，父亲每天都在做风筝，当我也对风筝产生兴趣后，他教我做第一个风筝时并不教我技巧，而是把他几十年还有几代人做风筝的优势告诉我，让我自己去体会。这就是非物质的，如果让我用文字写出来具体该怎么做，不见得能写出来”。

成功的实践无疑是对这种言传身教的教育方式最好的验证。1983年，哈亦琦只身一人来到美国，参加旧金山国际风筝大会。在常用的制作材料都不理想的情况下，哈亦琦决定挑战一下自己，他计划制作一个八尺的大风筝。这里的八尺是指风筝的宽度，其他部分要以适当的比例进行制作。考虑到风筝放飞的场地是在海岸边，风筝必须要抗住将近六级大风的考验，哈亦琦的脑海中浮现出父亲曾经传授的经验——“面对大风要将骨架加厚，加厚的那部分一定是中间部分，要加厚一倍，而且引线的角度要与直立的风筝呈小于90度的角，这样才好控制风筝腿部的摇摆”，哈亦琦回忆说，“这都是父亲告诉我的经验。”当风筝大赛正式开始后，在那只没经过试飞的风筝《五鱼燕》飞上蓝天的那一刻，哈亦琦心中满是骄傲，因为他代表的已经不只是“哈氏风筝”，还有中华民族。

旧金山国际风筝大会成为哈亦琦的“出师之战”，他收获的特别奖是大会成员对“哈氏风筝”的认可。在哈亦琦看来，这次成功更多的是验证了他对祖辈经验的吸收，对风筝技艺的理解，非物质文化在这种代际之间的口传心授中得以留存。但随着时代的演进，文化潮流的转变，风筝这一传统的消遣方式似乎正在失去它原有的影响力。怎样让风筝在当下的文化传承中保持活力，这成为萦绕哈亦琦心头的问题。

做好传承中那片绿叶

“我们不是大艺术家，是一片绿叶，我们能在有生之年做些小事，能让小叶总是绿的，那么我们的工作就没白做。”哈亦琦说。

早年间，祖辈们制作风筝多是出于商业目的，为了养家糊口维持生计，回顾自己的传承经历，哈亦琦感慨不已，他说：“我生在了好时代，政府给我们很大的资助，让我们不再为生活奔波，能把时间用在传承上。”文化自信、传承民族文化的责任感一直激励着他，成为支持他再“多做一点”的动力。

自上世纪末期开始，随着参与对外文化交流活动的增多，哈亦琦被国外优秀的风筝设计制作技艺启发，借鉴创新的念头悄悄萌发。西方文化中的抽象概念和几何造型深深吸引着哈亦琦。上世纪80年代，他尝试对风筝进行几何化改造，并探索结构的变化对风筝放飞的影响。其中，哈亦琦1982年的小型风筝作品《圆》就是一个成功的范例。整个风筝由两组相互垂直的八个圆形纸片组成，用线取代竹子进行相互间的牵引，在减轻风筝的重量同时，也勾连出菱形的图案。小巧的风筝只由一根线连接，稍稍用力牵引便能放飞，美观与实用兼得。哈亦琦表示，几何化实验的目的还是为理解、改进传统风筝造型提供思路。

除去对结构上的思考，哈亦琦还发挥他美术专业出身有油画功底的优势，在风筝彩绘上花费了很大心思。哈亦琦绘制风筝时多用渐变平涂法和烘染晕色，把色彩按面的层次进行变化，形成颜色的块、面对比，冷、暖对比，稳重与跳跃的对比，有着强烈的远视觉色彩效果。哈亦琦的代表作品《蓝丹蝶》用色大胆，他借鉴青花瓷的用色，汉代纹饰配以厚重的蓝色，让“蝴蝶”的典雅气息倍增。

创新是一种传承的方式，哈亦琦以此为使命一直在努力。但随着年岁的增长，他也开始考虑多样化的传承方式。他走进各级课堂，讲授风筝制作技艺和文化；他收徒传业，摒弃“传家人不传外人”的传统观念，向热爱风筝技艺的青年一代传递火种；他举办展览，系统地展示“哈氏风筝”，让观者可以近距离感受风筝的魅力。除此之外，哈亦琦受父亲生前嘱托，进行着工程量巨大的风筝画谱的绘制工作。2016年哈亦琦将用时10年时间完成的100件（套）画谱作品捐献给了中国美术馆。2019年，他还在竭尽全力绘制余下的170幅待完成作品。

近年来，哈亦琦的“老花眼”日益加重，看着自己不断变厚的眼镜片，他戏言“自己的时间不多了”。回首沧桑岁月，哈亦琦感慨自己做得还不够多，他仍在努力，以求在身体状况允许的情况下再多留些东西给后人。

The invention and application of kites can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period in China,and are mostly applied in the military field. By the Tang and Five Dynasties,kite flying became an outdoor activity for fitness and recreation. At present,China has four major kite producing areas,including Beijing,Tianjin,Weifang of Shandong and Nantong of Jiangsu. Upon talking about Beijing kites,the public used to say "Dashayan of South City,Heiguodi of North City",among which "Dashayan of South City" is the "Ha's Kite" featuring more than 170 years of inheritance,also namely "Kite of Ha".

Ha Guoliang,the founder of "Ha's Kite",began to explore the craft of making kites simply out of his hobby. During the subsequent family inheritance,the production skills constantly been improved,which is not only famous in the local area,but also winning its popularity overseas. In 1915,the four kites,"Butterfly","Dragonfly","Crane" and "Phoenix" of Ha Changying,the second generation of "Ha's Kite",have claimed the Silver Award at the Panama World Expo.

As the inheritor of the fourth generation of "Ha's Kite",Ha Yiqi has concentrated on kite skills research since the beginning of China's Reform and Opening up,realizing many achievements in a number of aspects,such as the innovation of kite art style,the geometric transformation of modeling,and the modern transformation of kite elements. Recently at the "Ha's Kite"campus tour of the "National Intangible Cultural Heritage"held by the library of Beijing Normal University,Ha Yiqi exhibited the works of the three generations of "Ha's Kite" since the Reform and Opening up,as well as the copies of the works of the first two generations that have been circulated overseas during. In addition to large,medium and small kites with different specifications,Ha Yiqi also displayed 8 representative kites for the viewers. "The inheritance of intangible cultural heritage is long-term work. We have caught up with a good era,how can we live up to the expectations of the government,society,the whole nation and future generations without keep learning,inheriting,creating and developing?" Ha Yiqi said.

Inheritance of Intangible Cultural Heritage in "My" Eyes

In 2008,"Ha's Kite" was included in the list of representative projects of national intangible cultural heritage. And its art of tying,pasting,painting and flying techniques embodies the experience and wisdom gathered by the predecessors in practice. As the successor of the noble cause,Ha Yiqi has explained his understanding of intangible cultural heritage by starting from his own experience. "When I was a child,my father was making kites every day. When I turned interested in kites,he did not teach me the skills when I tried to make my first one,but told me about the advantages of his kites for generations in the past decades,allowing me to comprehending myself. This is immaterial,I don't know how to do it If I were about to write it in words."

A successful practice is undoubtedly the best proof of this type of teaching and learning. In 1983,Ha Yiqi came to the United States alone to attend the San Francisco International Kite Festival. In the case that the commonly-used materials were not that ideal,Ha Yiqi decided to challenge himself,making an eightfoot big kite according to his plan. The eight feet here refers to the kite’s width,and the other parts were to be produced in an appropriate ratio. Considering that the kite was to fly off the coast,it must resist the test of nearly six-degree wind. The experience that his father once taught was instantly reflected in Ha's mind- "In the face of the wind,the skeleton should be thickened in the central part,which should be doubled,and the angle of the lead should be less than 90 degrees with the upright kite,so that the swing of the kite's leg can be controlled." Ha Yiqi recalled,"This is the experience my father told me." When the kite contest officially started,the moment when the kiteFive Fish Swallow,which had not been tested,flew into the sky,Ha Yiqi was full of pride because he did not just represent the "Ha's Kite",but also the Chinese nation.

The San Francisco International Kite Festival became the debut ofHa Yiqi. The special prize he won was considered the recognition issued by the conference members. In Ha's view,this success is more to verify his absorption of the ancestral experience,the understanding of kite skills,and the immaterial culture preserved in this oral communication amongst generations. However,with the evolution of the times and the transformation of cultural trends,the traditional pastime of kites seems to be losing its original influence. How to keep the kite alive in the current cultural heritage has become the key issue in his mind.

Play the Better Role of Green Leaf in Inheritance

"We are not great artists,but green leaves. We can do small things in our lifetime,and we can make the leaves always green.Then our work is worthwhile." Ha Yiqi said.

In the early years,the ancestors made kites mostly for commercial purposes or for making a living. When reviewing their inheritance experience,Ha Yiqi quite emotionally said: "I was born at a good time,the government has provided us a lot of support,allowing us to stop struggling for livelihood and spend time for inheritance." A sense of responsibility for cultural self-confidence and the inheritance of national culture have always inspired him to become a driving force and supported him to "do more."

Since the end of the last century,with the increasing participation in foreign cultural exchange activities,Ha Yiqi has been inspired by the excellent kite design and production techniques overseas,and the idea of learning from innovation has quietly sprouted. The abstract concepts and geometric shapes in Western culture are deeply attractive to him. In the 1980s,he attempted to geometrically transform kites and explore the effects of structural changes on kite flying.Amongst them,his small kite workCirclein 1982 was a successful example. The entire kite consists of two sets of eight circular pieces of paper perpendicular to each other. And the bamboo is replaced by wires to connect each other and reduce the weight,creating a diamond pattern. The small kite,combining beauty and practice,is connected by only one wire,and it can be released with a little traction. Ha Yiqi said that the purpose of the geometric experiment is also committed to providing ideas for understanding and improving the traditional kite shape.

Apart from the structural thinking,Ha Yiqi also took advantage of his art major specialized in oil painting,and spent much effort in kite painting. When Ha Yiqi draws a kite,he uses the gradient flat coating method and the baking color to change the color according to the level of the surface to form a color block,face ratio,cold and warm contrast,and the contrast between stability and jumping,possessing a strong distant-visual color effect. Ha's representative workBlue-white Butterflyquite bold in color,he draws on the color of blue-and-white porcelain,together with the thick color of blue originated from the Han Dynasty ornamentation,intensifying the elegance of "Butterfly".

Innovation is a way of inheritance,and Ha Yiqi has been working hard for this mission. But as time goes by,he even began to consider the way of diversification in this cause.

He walked into classrooms at all levels to teach kite making skills and culture; he accepted apprentice while passing on the tradition,and abandoned the traditional concept of "Only Passing Amongst Family" and passed on the heritage to the young generations who love kite skills; he held exhibitions,systematically displaying "Ha's Kite",allowing the viewers to feel the kites’ charm at closer range.

In addition,entrusted by his father,Ha has been carrying out the work of painting a huge amount of kites for collections. In 2016,Ha Yiqi donated 100 pieces (sets) of paintings completed in 10 years to the National Art Museum of China. In 2019,he is still trying his best to draw the remaining 170 pieces.

In recent years,as his "presbyopia" becomes more and more serious,he joked,while looking at his ever-increasing glasses thickness,that "there is not much time left for me." Looking back on the vicissitudes of life,Ha Yiqi felt that he had not done enough. And he is still working hard to make more for future generations if his physical condition allows.