Where were the ancient grass-crossing bricks made?

The production technology of ancient bricks over grass is the intangible cultural heritage of Hebei Province.

Sichuan fourth village is located in the west of Renqiu, belonging to Sichuan town. Renqiu Chuanzhen Ancient Brick Factory is a professional manufacturer of antique blue bricks, dedicated to the restoration of ancient buildings in Beijing Palace Museum and Tiantan Park. As one of the most important building materials of ancient buildings, blue bricks have a long history of firing in China. "Heavenly Creations" edited by Song, a scientist in the Ming Dynasty, has such a record on pottery: "The method of turning rust is to make a flat field on the top of the kiln, and the strings are slightly raised around it, and water is poured on it. Bricks and tiles are hundreds, water is forty stones, fire and water are auspicious, and its quality lasts forever. " Renqiu ancient brick factory inherited the previous brick-making process, and all the technological processes were manual operation. Select high-quality clay, cool, stir, remove violence and increase softness, so it is "three days and two summers" and then sieve; Mix neutral water with mud, refine the mud, beat it, put the thick mud into a frame, flatten its surface with a wire bow to form a blank, store it in a shade shed and build it day by day. After shading for 7 days, flatten and compact the blank surface with wooden boards, move it to the flower stand of the pavilion, and naturally dry it in the shade; Then put it in a kiln, dry it in the sun, bake it in the kiln with different firepower for about a month, soak it again, and then take it out of the kiln. There are more than a dozen processes before and after, which take 2-3 years. After leaving the kiln, you have to go through strict selection. "Choose one from three to five, or choose one from dozens. It must be all around, the color is blue, there is no dry grain, and the knocking sound is clear, so it is qualified."

In order to maintain the original characteristics of ancient blue bricks, Chuanzhen Ancient Brick Factory in Renqiu City adopts manual operation, selects high-quality clay, dries it in the sun for more than 2-3 years, selects neutral water quality and mud after screening, thins the mud by physical methods, makes it into a green body, and then puts it in the shade to dry. It is made by firing at high temperature in a kiln for about a month. This process takes about two and a half years before and after. The color of the finished brick is blue, which not only embodies the characteristics of ancient building materials, but also has the properties of alkali resistance and high pressure resistance.

Ancient architecture is an integral part of China's long history and cultural heritage, and it is the crystallization of hard work and wisdom of working people. Architecture is a solidified history, which solidifies the humanistic connotation and cultural accumulation. Magnificent ancient buildings are brilliant chapters in the history of Chinese civilization. Protecting and restoring these civilized sites is the inheritance and promotion of the motherland's culture and a great cause for generations to come.

Now the Forbidden City, Tiantan Park and other ancient buildings have strict requirements on the quality of materials, and they can't cut corners at all; Ancient brick technology is complex, which is extremely difficult for ordinary people to master; In addition, the production cycle of the product is long, the benefit is slow, the soil quality is high, it is difficult to find an alternative soil source, and the local available amount is very small. So we are basically in a state of maintaining production at present. Need to be promoted and protected.