For a long time, Guangzhong, which integrates multiple representative intangible cultural heritage techniques from Lingnan, has been highly praised and has become a typical representative of the integration of Chinese and Western art and culture. It is not only a witness of time, but also a inheritor of Lingnan traditional culture, with important historical, cultural, artistic, and craft values. Although the craftsmanship of making Cantonese bells was once lost in the long river of history, its inheritance has never been interrupted under the silent cultivation of generations of Cantonese bell craftsmen. Now, with the efforts of Wei Guangwen, the inheritor of intangible cultural heritage in the production of Guangzhou bells, exquisite and unparalleled masterpieces of Guangzhou bells are once again emitting the sound of timekeeping on this land of Guangzhou. Wei Guangwen, inheritor of intangible cultural heritage in the production of Guangzhou bells: Guangzhou bells embody the wisdom of Lingnan craftsmen and integrate the essence of Chinese and Western art and culture. As an important port city in China, Guangzhou has witnessed the prosperity and development of the Maritime Silk Road for thousands of years. During the Qing Dynasty, it became the only port for China's foreign trade and the forefront of the intersection of Eastern and Western civilizations. As a result, mechanical clocks produced in the West entered China through the Thirteen Factories in Guangzhou and spread to the north. Under the influence of geographical location, trade conditions, and technological foundation, Guangzhou has become the birthplace of homemade watches in China. Guangzhong "specifically refers to a mechanical clock made by Guangzhou clockmakers, decorated with enamel and wood carvings from Guangzhou, featuring complex moving devices and a fusion of Chinese and Western styles. Wei Guangwen stated, "In history, the Guangzhou Bell began with imitating Western clocks. Afterwards, skilled craftsmen of Guangzhou Bell continuously researched and broke through on the basis of learning and mastering the most advanced Western self ringing clock mechanical technology at that time, and integrated traditional Chinese culture and skills into the production of Guangzhou Bell, giving rise to a unique art of Guangzhou Bell and paving the way for the collision and integration of Chinese and Western cultural arts." Wei Guangwen introduced that specifically, the clock manufacturing industry in Guangzhou had already taken shape during the Kangxi and Yongzheng periods, when Guangzhou Bell production had a certain scale. In the mid Qianlong period, the production level of Guangzhong made significant progress, and local officials in Guangdong listed it as a tribute. According to historical records, during the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods, Guangdong Customs presented 2 to 4 expensive and exquisite Guangzhong pieces to the palace every year. "Almost every Guangzhong production file can be verified in the 'Qing Palace Construction Office Archives', and its historical context is clear and traceable. Copper gold-plated enamel gourd style clock (photo provided by interviewee) Guangzhong is not only a timing tool, but also a delicate handicraft that integrates mechanical ingenuity and artistic aesthetics. Wei Guangwen introduced that Guangzhong has three main artistic characteristics: firstly, it integrates Lingnan culture and living scenes on the basis of absorbing Western art styles. For example, craftsmen transformed the Western Rococo style curves and buttercup leaf patterns on clocks into the common vine, melon, and fruit patterns in Lingnan, and changed the shape of European church bell towers to pavilions and towers with Lingnan characteristics. At the same time, some of the Guangzhong works were also influenced by palace culture, with a grand and magnificent style. Secondly, it has a complex mechanical structure. During the Qing Dynasty, most of the Guangzhong bells used interactive mechanisms such as water method, flower rotation, puppet movements, musical bird songs, and self opening doors, which became a major skill of Guangzhong. The third is to use various exquisite techniques for decoration, such as mahogany carving, mother of pearl inlay, metal carving, etc. Among them, the most outstanding is the application of enamel production techniques by the craftsmen of Guangzhou bells, and the use of transparent enamel inlay is the most representative and iconic decorative technique of Qing Dynasty Guangzhou bells. Copper gold-plated enamel embedded tower style water table clock (pictured by interviewee) "Hundreds of years ago, China had a mechanical timing instrument with a complex dynamic structure, the Guangzhong, which undoubtedly embodied the most advanced technology at that time. ”But in Wei Guangwen's view, the most precious thing about the Guangzhong is not only the exquisite mechanical structure, but also the cultural subjectivity demonstrated by the Guangzhong craftsmen. He stated that this sense of subjectivity reached its peak during the Qianlong period, and "the more later the works in the collection of Guangzhong in the Palace Museum, the more distinct the Lingnan elements become." Later, influenced by historical changes, the craftsmanship of Guangzhong production declined and even disappeared from public memory. However, during this period, there were still a very small number of skilled craftsmen in the folk who, with their love for the Guangzhong, continued the spark of this skill and revitalized the Guangzhong, the pearl on the crown of Guangfu art, in the new era. For more than thirty years of continuous research and passion, Guangzhong has represented the top level of clock making in China. Antique Guangzhong has received widespread attention and enthusiastic pursuit in the auction market at home and abroad. Wei Guangwen has been very interested in watches since childhood. "As a watch enthusiast, I have always known that the Guangzhong, a treasure of Guangfu's art and culture, attracts the attention of many watch enthusiasts." During his studies, his major was closely related to watches and mechanical timing. Influenced by this, Wei Guangwen entered the watch industry in 1989. He recalled, "As a clock worker in Guangzhou, I am deeply proud of the glorious history of Guangzhong. Since the day I entered the industry, I have been determined to continuously study Guangzhong, the 'ceiling' of the clock industry. It can be said that my mission is to deeply understand and research the glorious history of Guangzhong, and pass on this skill through my own efforts." Wei Guangwen is currently engaged in clock processing. The Palace Museum is the most concentrated place for Guangzhong collections in the Qing Dynasty in China. In order to explore the history and skills of Guangzhong in depth, Wei Guangwen has visited the Palace Museum multiple times and discussed techniques with senior experts in palace clock research such as Guo Fuxiang. He also visited clock museums in Switzerland, the UK, Germany, and other places to learn about the development of mechanical clocks. After years of hard work, Wei Guangwen has mastered the entire production process of Guangzhong and has conducted extensive and in-depth research and practice on the relationship and context of various technologies and processes of Guangzhong. The production techniques of Guangzhong involve different aspects such as precision machining, installation and debugging, decorative arts, etc., and each step has different difficulties. In Wei Guangwen's view, besides the complex mechanical structure, the most difficult skill in the production of Guang Zhong is to combine the clock with Guang enamel. He admitted that the enamel craftsmanship of Guangzhong is complex and requires high technical skills from craftsmen. "The production cycle of a large Guangzhong can reach ten years, requiring dozens of craftsmen to collaborate and hundreds of processes." In order to better promote the production skills of Guangzhong, Wei Guangwen founded the Guangzhong Historical and Cultural Research Institute in 2018, dedicated to the research, inheritance, and promotion of Guangzhong and its production techniques. As his understanding of Guangzhong deepened, his love for Guangzhong also deepened. "Now my research and replication of Guangzhong is only a process of infinitely approaching and relentlessly catching up with the exquisite Guangzhong of the Qing Dynasty. Awakening the dormant skills and sowing the seeds of intangible cultural heritage inheritance, with the joint efforts of all parties, the production technique of Guangzhong was included in the eighth batch of representative projects of municipal intangible cultural heritage in Guangzhou in 2022. Subsequently, its historical value and cultural significance have received further attention and importance. At the same time, with the increasing awareness of intangible cultural heritage protection, local governments have increased their support for intangible cultural heritage projects. The first intangible cultural heritage block in Guangzhou, located in Yongqingfang, Liwan District, has created a platform for showcasing and disseminating various intangible cultural heritage projects. In early 2024, the Guangzhong Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritance Museum was established in Yongqing Square. The museum displays replicas of Guangzhong and antique Guangzhong from the Qing Dynasty, as well as self ringing clocks from countries such as England and France, allowing people to experience the dynamic beauty of clocks firsthand. In recent years, Wei Guangwen has tried various ways to expand the dissemination methods and channels of Guangzhong. In November 2024, he participated in the preparation of the "Brilliant Time - Qing Dynasty Guangzhong Boutique Exhibition", which opened at the Guangdong Provincial Museum. More than 110 exhibits set a record for the largest scale of special exhibitions in the Guangdong Provincial Museum. He revealed that more than 40 exhibits in this exhibition were allocated from the Beijing Palace Museum, Chengde Mountain Resort, the Summer Palace, etc. In addition, he also provided 9 collections for exhibition. This exhibition is the largest specialized exhibition of Guangzhong in China to date, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors. At the same time as the "Brilliant Time - Qing Dynasty Guangzhong Boutique Exhibition" held at the Guangdong Provincial Museum, Wei Guangwen also held a Guangzhong Cultural and Creative Exhibition, which was linked with the "Qing Dynasty Guangzhong Boutique Exhibition". The Guangzhong Cultural and Creative Exhibition is mainly based on the cultural trends of Lingnan in the Qing Dynasty. In addition to Guangzhong, it also combines traditional techniques such as rosewood furniture and Manchurian windows for exhibition, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the Lingnan life scene during the Qing Dynasty and experience the charm of traditional art and culture in Guangfu. In order to better adapt Guangzhong to the new era and new demands, Wei Guangwen constantly tried to use new forms and technologies for dissemination. For example, he collaborates with universities such as Guangdong University of Technology to develop fashionable Cantonese bells and cultural and creative products; By utilizing 3D technology, digital imaging, and other technologies, Guangzhong presents traditional art and culture in a digital form, transforming it into a way that young people can understand and feel for dissemination. Wei Guangwen realized that young people are the driving force for inheriting intangible cultural heritage skills in the future. Sowing the seeds of intangible cultural heritage in the hearts of young people will help them enhance their cultural confidence and national pride. To this end, he vigorously promoted the "Intangible Cultural Heritage in Campus" activity of Guangzhong. He stated that "Guangzhong has entered Peizheng Middle School in Guangzhou, Affiliated Middle School of South China Normal University, etc., and the activity has achieved initial results." Wei Guangwen's "Intangible Cultural Heritage in Campus" activity, in addition to preparing for Guangzhong exhibitions and promoting them, is also committed to continuously exploring and cultivating "new talents in intangible cultural heritage. Relying on the Guangzhong Intangible Cultural Heritage Studio and the "Old Leading New" hands-on teaching, Wei Guangwen has trained 7 apprentices who fully master the production skills of Guangzhong and can independently conduct research and inheritance work. "Talent cultivation is very important for the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage skills. As early as more than 20 years ago, I began to recruit apprentices and have continued to do so to this day." In addition, since 2018, Wei Guangwen has actively cooperated with Guangdong Vocational and Technical University of Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and other universities to offer courses such as Guangzhong design, clock and watch mechanical processing, and Guangenamel production skills, injecting new blood into traditional intangible cultural heritage skills and making new attempts to cultivate the next generation of inheritors. In the past two years, the influence of Guangzhong has been continuously increasing, and its inheritance status has undergone gratifying changes. But the inheritance of Guangzhong still requires more time and the unremitting efforts of generation after generation. ”Wei Guangwen believes that the excellent traditional Chinese culture has stood the test of time, and as long as the "Guangzhong people" persist, this ancient craft of Guangzhong will be organically combined with modern life and constantly rejuvenated. When it comes to the future development direction of Guangzhong, Wei Guangwen has three plans. He introduced that the first step is to prepare and establish a Guangzhong Museum, which will comprehensively display the history, craftsmanship, and cultural value of Guangzhong. "The Guangzhong Non Genetic Inheritance Museum currently located in Yongqing Fang is its prototype, and will continue to accelerate its construction in the future; Secondly, the plan is to build a large-scale Guangzhou Zhongshan urban art installation in Guangzhou, integrating traditional craftsmanship with modern technology to make it a cultural landmark of the city; Finally, we will continue to promote the inheritance of Guangzhong and expand the "Intangible Cultural Heritage in Schools" activity to more primary and secondary schools, so that Guangzhong, as an intangible cultural heritage, can enter the hearts of more students. In the non genetic inheritance hall of Guangzhong, the sound of gears interlocking in Guangzhong is clear and regular, and the decoration on the surface of the mechanical device is vivid and lively, telling stories of time spanning hundreds of years. From art treasures of the Qing Dynasty to new ones