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Lacquerware is the most representative handicraft of Yangzhou with a history of more than two thousand years. It originated in the Warring States Period （475-221 BCE）， thrived in the Han （206 BCE – 220 CE） and Tang （618 - 907） and peaked in the Ming （1368 - 1644） and Qing （1644 -1911） dynasties.
Yangzhou lacquer articles were sent to International Expos in 1910， 1915 and 2001 for display and won the golden award every time. As one of the most traditional Chinese crafts， Yangzhou lacquerware is renowned for its unique workmanship and superb artistry.
Well-known in Japan
Japanese lacquerware originates from China， having entered the country as early as 200 BCE along with the general introduction of Chinese culture during the Han Dynasty
Because of the similar geographical environment and a rich source of lacquer trees， Japan started to organize lacquer production and gradually formed its own unique industry. At first， Japanese lacquerware had only one color — red， because Japanese thought food on the plate had a soul and red was considered its representative color. Later， black lacquer appeared， representing the color of the universe and was that of the soul.
In the Tang Dynasty， Yangzhou was a well-known developed city， an important port for foreign trade and a metropolis along China’s southeast coast with thousands of permanent foreign residents. Its economic prosperity attracted many skillful craftsmen who contributed to its highly developed handicraft industry. Lacquer-making craftsmanship including colored drawing， carved red， bodiless and mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquerware reached very high level.
Yangzhou’s specific natural environment and its long and rich culture produced an eminent monk Jianzhen who managed to reach Japan by sea at the sixth attempt to bring the splendid culture of the prosperous Tang Dynasty in 753.
Jianzhen， Abbot of the Daming Temple， took with him several dozen pieces of lacquerware made in Yangzhou and many disciples and craftsmen. His disciples not only had a thorough and profound understanding of Buddhism， but were also well versed in Buddhism art such as temple building， statue molding and painting， while the large number of craftsmen introduced their lacquerware skills.
Thus， Jianzhen was revered by Japanese people as the “Founder of Japanese Vinaya School”， “Ancestor of Japanese Medicine”， and “Benefactor of Japanese Culture”.
Fight Over Origin of Lacquer Between China and Japan On the basis of traditional Chinese craftsmanship， Japan developed its own lacquer craftwork technique by using gold and silver as decorative patterns， which they call “maki-e”. To make such lacquer objects， gold or silver powder is added to the lacquer liquid， and the objects are then polished when the lacquer coating is dry. Sometimes it uses mother-of-pearl and filamentary silver to embed flowers and birds as well as auspicious patterns.
After the 10th century， Japanese lacquer gradually formed its unique “Japan style” and when these works were brought to China they were loved by Chinese emperors. Qing rulers not only purchased them in large numbers， but also set up a lacquerware workshop at court.
Modern Japanese lacquer production is market-oriented and designed for people’s daily life， and at the same time continues to expand its application domain. Ishikawa Prefecture known as the “home of lacquerware” in Japan has a lacquer making history of more than 600 years. Its lacquer articles are famous at home and abroad for their solidity and resplendent characteristics.
Modern Japanese lacquer is rich and colorful in expression and innovative in techniques. It shows the delicate and exquisite national character as well as the concise， bright and lively features of modern times. Japan has made fast progress and become a major lacquer producing country. People know that the word “Japan” is the name of the country， but few have known that “japan” originally means lacquer.
Chinese academics holds that the lacquer culture originates in China and the Japanese lacquer developed under Chinese influence and that lacquer trees only grow in the Qishui River Valley of China’s Shaanxi Province. However， their Japanese counterparts don’t agree. They assert that Japan has its own independent tradition of lacquer culture which has emerged and developed without Chinese influence； lacquerware is a symbol of the Japanese national culture.
China has neither applied for a patent on lacquer culture from the United Nations Educational， Scientific and Cultural Organization， nor asked Japan to withdraw its inappropriate claims. Therefore， Japan， as a rising star， can continue to own， develop and further improve its lacquer techniques and make greater contributions to humankind.
“Home Visit” of Jianzhen Statue
With the concerted efforts of both China and Japan， the Lacquer Statue of Jianzhen enshrined in the Toshodai Temple in Nara made a “home visit” to China in 1980. The activity was held to commemorate this great messenger of cultural exchange. The news that the Lacquer Statue of Jianzhen would return to Yangzhou created a big stir in the city. The statue enshrined in the Toshodai Temple is a dry lacquer statue of the Tang Dynasty. It is said that， after Jianzhen passed away， one of his disciples who was good at lacquer art made the statue in memoriam. It is 84 centimeters high and looks very lifelike， embodying the resolute， steadfast， decisive， serene and respectful life of the monk.
The statue in kasaya with closed eyes and smiling lips and hands on knees is valued as a national treasure of Japan.
Remembering the contribution the monk made more than a thousand years ago to cultural exchanges between China and Japan， the people of his hometown gave his statue a grand reception. The marigold yellow vehicle carrying it started from Shanghai and drove slowly on the highway lined with willow trees on both sides. It passed through cities of Changzhou and Zhenjiang， crossed over the Yangtze River and finally arrived in Yangzhou.
At the ancient Guazhou Ferry used by Jianzhen three times on his journey， people waved Chinese and Japanese national flags， banners， bouquets and ribbons； in the urban area of Yangzhou， tens of thousands of people lined the streets.
Kyojun Morimoto， Elder of the Toshodai Temple of Nara， who escorted the statue could not hold back his tears and time and again expressed his gratitude for the kindness of Yangzhou people. He said in excitement， “A spring rain welcomed Jianzhen when he landed in China yesterday， and today the sunshine greeted him in his hometown. It is such perfect weather for him to see his hometown after over a thousand years！”
The statue’s return gave Yangzhou an opportunity for the first time to make a replica. Zhang Changming， former Deputy Director of the Yangzhou Lacquerware Factory， recalled that having obtained the consent of the Japanese side， lacquer artists and sculptors in Yangzhou applied the same technique in the reproduction with full sincerity.
There is a sitting statue of the Vairocana Buddha enshrined in the Toshodai Temple. It was made by Yijing， a disciple of Jianzhen， together with some Japanese monks， and， with a height of 339 centimeters， is Japan’s biggest dry lacquer statue by far. Its calm and solemn facial expression， full and grand figure and the soft and natural folds of its kasaya， are characteristic of Tang Dynasty Buddha statues and in conformity with the spirit of the Ritsu school of Buddhism. It also suggests that the statue was built after Jianzhen and his disciples introduced dry lacquer statue techniques to Japan. On the right side of the statue， there is a standing figure of the pharmacist Nyorai， and on its left， the Thousand-hand Bodhisattva. The three lacquer statues are considered “national treasures” of Japan.
Statues of the Vairocana Buddha and Jianzhen are the finest works of bodiless lacquer statues. They are extremely precious objects of cultural heritage in the history of art and lacquer and crystallization of cultural exchanges between China and Japan. It also indicates that the lacquer craftsmanship of Yangzhou has had great influence on Japan.
Ever-Burning Stone Lanterns
During Jianzhen Statue’s tour in Yangzhou， Elder Morimoto said emotionally， “The year before last， Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping satisfied my wish to accompany the statue on its home visit. I felt overwhelmed afterwards and didn’t know what to bring to repay the Chinese people. ” Later the Elder decided to give Yangzhou saplings of sakura （cherry tree） and a stone lantern as gifts.
Pointing at the stone lantern that had just been put in place in front of the Jianzhen Memorial Hall， he said， “This is carved out of Japan’s finest Aji stone in the style of the Tenpyo Period — the 8th century when Japan was greatly influenced by Chinese culture. It has been reworked three times for perfection. The stone lantern is a symbol of Sino-Japanese friendship and I wish its light will never extinguish.”
The Statue of Jianzhen enshrined in the Toshodai Temple would once again visit Yangzhou in November 2010， delighting senior craftsmen of the Yangzhou Lacquerware Factory. The year 2010 saw the 30th anniversary of the Statue of Jianzhen’s return to China and the 1，300th anniversary of Japan moving its capital to Heijo-kyo （now Nara）.
On May 23 of that year， Yangzhou formally established friendship-city relations with Nara and invited the Statue of Jianzhen to make another trip to see the great changes of his hometown after a 30-year break. To mark the occasion， Yangzhou Lacquerware Factory made a batch of scaled down statues of Jianzhen — 1，000 sitting and 1，000 standing ones. Although these statues were much smaller than the original one， the techniques used were the same.
In April 2007 during his visit to Japan， the then Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in his speech that the lights of the stone lanterns， one in the Daming Temple in Yangzhou and one in the Toshodai Temple in Nara had been burning for 27 years， which symbolized the prospect of long-lasting friendship between China and Japan.
To enhance friendly exchanges between Yangzhou and Nara， craftsmen of Yangzhou Lacquerware Factory were assigned a glorious task of making a statue of Jianzhen the Distinguished Monk as a gift to Japan. After repeated modifications， a final design was completed. Jianzhen would stand on a ship-like base. The total height was 2.17 meters， of which Jianzhen’s height was 1.65 meters. It took over a month from design to completion with the participation of 150 craftsmen and technicians. The technique of “dry lacquer statue” introduced to Japan in the Tang Dynasty was adopted. It is said it will not crack in a thousand years.
The Statue of Jianzhen made by Yangzhou lacquer masters “sailed” to Japan in June 2007， which was reported by the Japanese media， playing an important role in deepening friendship between the two countries.
Yangzhou lacquer articles were sent to International Expos in 1910， 1915 and 2001 for display and won the golden award every time. As one of the most traditional Chinese crafts， Yangzhou lacquerware is renowned for its unique workmanship and superb artistry.
Well-known in Japan
Japanese lacquerware originates from China， having entered the country as early as 200 BCE along with the general introduction of Chinese culture during the Han Dynasty
Because of the similar geographical environment and a rich source of lacquer trees， Japan started to organize lacquer production and gradually formed its own unique industry. At first， Japanese lacquerware had only one color — red， because Japanese thought food on the plate had a soul and red was considered its representative color. Later， black lacquer appeared， representing the color of the universe and was that of the soul.
In the Tang Dynasty， Yangzhou was a well-known developed city， an important port for foreign trade and a metropolis along China’s southeast coast with thousands of permanent foreign residents. Its economic prosperity attracted many skillful craftsmen who contributed to its highly developed handicraft industry. Lacquer-making craftsmanship including colored drawing， carved red， bodiless and mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquerware reached very high level.
Yangzhou’s specific natural environment and its long and rich culture produced an eminent monk Jianzhen who managed to reach Japan by sea at the sixth attempt to bring the splendid culture of the prosperous Tang Dynasty in 753.
Jianzhen， Abbot of the Daming Temple， took with him several dozen pieces of lacquerware made in Yangzhou and many disciples and craftsmen. His disciples not only had a thorough and profound understanding of Buddhism， but were also well versed in Buddhism art such as temple building， statue molding and painting， while the large number of craftsmen introduced their lacquerware skills.
Thus， Jianzhen was revered by Japanese people as the “Founder of Japanese Vinaya School”， “Ancestor of Japanese Medicine”， and “Benefactor of Japanese Culture”.
Fight Over Origin of Lacquer Between China and Japan On the basis of traditional Chinese craftsmanship， Japan developed its own lacquer craftwork technique by using gold and silver as decorative patterns， which they call “maki-e”. To make such lacquer objects， gold or silver powder is added to the lacquer liquid， and the objects are then polished when the lacquer coating is dry. Sometimes it uses mother-of-pearl and filamentary silver to embed flowers and birds as well as auspicious patterns.
After the 10th century， Japanese lacquer gradually formed its unique “Japan style” and when these works were brought to China they were loved by Chinese emperors. Qing rulers not only purchased them in large numbers， but also set up a lacquerware workshop at court.
Modern Japanese lacquer production is market-oriented and designed for people’s daily life， and at the same time continues to expand its application domain. Ishikawa Prefecture known as the “home of lacquerware” in Japan has a lacquer making history of more than 600 years. Its lacquer articles are famous at home and abroad for their solidity and resplendent characteristics.
Modern Japanese lacquer is rich and colorful in expression and innovative in techniques. It shows the delicate and exquisite national character as well as the concise， bright and lively features of modern times. Japan has made fast progress and become a major lacquer producing country. People know that the word “Japan” is the name of the country， but few have known that “japan” originally means lacquer.
Chinese academics holds that the lacquer culture originates in China and the Japanese lacquer developed under Chinese influence and that lacquer trees only grow in the Qishui River Valley of China’s Shaanxi Province. However， their Japanese counterparts don’t agree. They assert that Japan has its own independent tradition of lacquer culture which has emerged and developed without Chinese influence； lacquerware is a symbol of the Japanese national culture.
China has neither applied for a patent on lacquer culture from the United Nations Educational， Scientific and Cultural Organization， nor asked Japan to withdraw its inappropriate claims. Therefore， Japan， as a rising star， can continue to own， develop and further improve its lacquer techniques and make greater contributions to humankind.
“Home Visit” of Jianzhen Statue
With the concerted efforts of both China and Japan， the Lacquer Statue of Jianzhen enshrined in the Toshodai Temple in Nara made a “home visit” to China in 1980. The activity was held to commemorate this great messenger of cultural exchange. The news that the Lacquer Statue of Jianzhen would return to Yangzhou created a big stir in the city. The statue enshrined in the Toshodai Temple is a dry lacquer statue of the Tang Dynasty. It is said that， after Jianzhen passed away， one of his disciples who was good at lacquer art made the statue in memoriam. It is 84 centimeters high and looks very lifelike， embodying the resolute， steadfast， decisive， serene and respectful life of the monk.
The statue in kasaya with closed eyes and smiling lips and hands on knees is valued as a national treasure of Japan.
Remembering the contribution the monk made more than a thousand years ago to cultural exchanges between China and Japan， the people of his hometown gave his statue a grand reception. The marigold yellow vehicle carrying it started from Shanghai and drove slowly on the highway lined with willow trees on both sides. It passed through cities of Changzhou and Zhenjiang， crossed over the Yangtze River and finally arrived in Yangzhou.
At the ancient Guazhou Ferry used by Jianzhen three times on his journey， people waved Chinese and Japanese national flags， banners， bouquets and ribbons； in the urban area of Yangzhou， tens of thousands of people lined the streets.
Kyojun Morimoto， Elder of the Toshodai Temple of Nara， who escorted the statue could not hold back his tears and time and again expressed his gratitude for the kindness of Yangzhou people. He said in excitement， “A spring rain welcomed Jianzhen when he landed in China yesterday， and today the sunshine greeted him in his hometown. It is such perfect weather for him to see his hometown after over a thousand years！”
The statue’s return gave Yangzhou an opportunity for the first time to make a replica. Zhang Changming， former Deputy Director of the Yangzhou Lacquerware Factory， recalled that having obtained the consent of the Japanese side， lacquer artists and sculptors in Yangzhou applied the same technique in the reproduction with full sincerity.
There is a sitting statue of the Vairocana Buddha enshrined in the Toshodai Temple. It was made by Yijing， a disciple of Jianzhen， together with some Japanese monks， and， with a height of 339 centimeters， is Japan’s biggest dry lacquer statue by far. Its calm and solemn facial expression， full and grand figure and the soft and natural folds of its kasaya， are characteristic of Tang Dynasty Buddha statues and in conformity with the spirit of the Ritsu school of Buddhism. It also suggests that the statue was built after Jianzhen and his disciples introduced dry lacquer statue techniques to Japan. On the right side of the statue， there is a standing figure of the pharmacist Nyorai， and on its left， the Thousand-hand Bodhisattva. The three lacquer statues are considered “national treasures” of Japan.
Statues of the Vairocana Buddha and Jianzhen are the finest works of bodiless lacquer statues. They are extremely precious objects of cultural heritage in the history of art and lacquer and crystallization of cultural exchanges between China and Japan. It also indicates that the lacquer craftsmanship of Yangzhou has had great influence on Japan.
Ever-Burning Stone Lanterns
During Jianzhen Statue’s tour in Yangzhou， Elder Morimoto said emotionally， “The year before last， Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping satisfied my wish to accompany the statue on its home visit. I felt overwhelmed afterwards and didn’t know what to bring to repay the Chinese people. ” Later the Elder decided to give Yangzhou saplings of sakura （cherry tree） and a stone lantern as gifts.
Pointing at the stone lantern that had just been put in place in front of the Jianzhen Memorial Hall， he said， “This is carved out of Japan’s finest Aji stone in the style of the Tenpyo Period — the 8th century when Japan was greatly influenced by Chinese culture. It has been reworked three times for perfection. The stone lantern is a symbol of Sino-Japanese friendship and I wish its light will never extinguish.”
The Statue of Jianzhen enshrined in the Toshodai Temple would once again visit Yangzhou in November 2010， delighting senior craftsmen of the Yangzhou Lacquerware Factory. The year 2010 saw the 30th anniversary of the Statue of Jianzhen’s return to China and the 1，300th anniversary of Japan moving its capital to Heijo-kyo （now Nara）.
On May 23 of that year， Yangzhou formally established friendship-city relations with Nara and invited the Statue of Jianzhen to make another trip to see the great changes of his hometown after a 30-year break. To mark the occasion， Yangzhou Lacquerware Factory made a batch of scaled down statues of Jianzhen — 1，000 sitting and 1，000 standing ones. Although these statues were much smaller than the original one， the techniques used were the same.
In April 2007 during his visit to Japan， the then Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in his speech that the lights of the stone lanterns， one in the Daming Temple in Yangzhou and one in the Toshodai Temple in Nara had been burning for 27 years， which symbolized the prospect of long-lasting friendship between China and Japan.
To enhance friendly exchanges between Yangzhou and Nara， craftsmen of Yangzhou Lacquerware Factory were assigned a glorious task of making a statue of Jianzhen the Distinguished Monk as a gift to Japan. After repeated modifications， a final design was completed. Jianzhen would stand on a ship-like base. The total height was 2.17 meters， of which Jianzhen’s height was 1.65 meters. It took over a month from design to completion with the participation of 150 craftsmen and technicians. The technique of “dry lacquer statue” introduced to Japan in the Tang Dynasty was adopted. It is said it will not crack in a thousand years.
The Statue of Jianzhen made by Yangzhou lacquer masters “sailed” to Japan in June 2007， which was reported by the Japanese media， playing an important role in deepening friendship between the two countries.