Meinaxue of Tang County and the Zhili Tiefu Kettle
A Tang River, a fertile land, a group of artisans, a piece of craftsmanship.
In the valleys and streams of the upper reaches of the Tang River basin at the northern end of the Taihang Mountains, northwest of Baoding City, there is a type of stone that is hard in texture and rich in color. Its main tones are white, yellow, red, and black, supplemented by gray, cyan, green, and purple, so people commonly call it Tang River Colored Stone. With its hard texture, vibrant colors, good water-worn smoothness, varied shapes, relief-like patterns, a marvelous combination of jade-like and weathered textures, flowing lines and veins, and prominent three-dimensional style, it is deeply appreciated and loved by strange stone enthusiasts.
Perhaps it is the innate charm of the Tang River Colored Stone that naturally forms a strong artistic atmosphere, and the people of this land have great artistic creativity. There are many artisans in Tang County. With their hands and a sincere heart to uphold culture, they have passed down from generation to generation the cultural treasures that belong to them and to China. As everyone knows, in this era of great change, with surging waves, the trend of economic globalization has caused rapid changes and iterations in the industrial structures and development patterns of all sectors in Chinese society. It is a time of great sifting, with cruel competition. Artisans, as important inheritors of China's traditional cultural industry, cannot rely solely on passion, craftsmanship, and perseverance. Traditional handicrafts need an 'industrial transformation' to win this protracted battle of cultural inheritance.
To revitalize an ancient art, the only way is through branding. What is a brand? A brand is an intangible combination of attributes, name, packaging, price, history, reputation, and advertising style after handicrafts are transformed into products. The highest value a brand brings to a product lies in the brand preference and brand image recognition of the target market audience. At the upcoming 'Third Baoding Tourism Industry Development Conference,' a group of 'Tang County Handicraft Brand Products' with high market recognition and brand reputation will make a splendid debut.
'A few plum branches by the corner of the wall, blooming alone in the cold. I know from afar it is not snow, for there comes a hint of fragrance.' This poem perfectly describes 'Meinaxue' ceramics. In the Chinese porcelain culture system, white porcelain represents nobility and elegance and has a wide range of uses. The peak of white porcelain is the Ru kiln of the Northern Song Dynasty. Ru kiln ware has an egg-white color, lustrous and smooth. The whiteness of its imperial palace porcelain is 100 times that of ordinary white porcelain, making it extremely precious. People once praised its lost craftsmanship thus: 'Better to own a piece of Ru kiln than a fortune of ten thousand strings of cash.' For its whiteness, the world considers it the sole representative of 'China White.' 'Meinaxue' ceramics recognize the historical status of 'China White Porcelain' and its potential for developing diverse products for the consumer market. After deeply interpreting the art of 'China White Porcelain,' they conducted systematic research and high-standard reproduction of the 'China White' firing technique. Leveraging the versatility of white porcelain, they made detailed classifications in the shapes and applications of brand products. In terms of design style, 'Meinaxue' ceramics maintain the charm of 'China White' while boldly developing fashionable shapes, encouraging more young people to break away from the stereotype of 'China White Porcelain.' 'China White' is not just the handicraft history of the Song Dynasty; it is also part of contemporary life. 'Meinaxue's' brand strategy involves thinking about brand labels and market differentiation from similar products right from the product development stage. Fashion, trendiness, and modern Chinese-style art have become its brand image, deeply imprinted in the 'consumer preference' of young consumers.
Tai Chi divides into two poles, black and white, yin and yang complementing each other, combining strength and gentleness, reflecting the Chinese philosophy of life. Whether it is the Chinese people's preference or a gift of history, in Tang County, there exists a highly renowned 'black' handicraft artwork—the Zhili Tiefu Kettle.
The steel of the Zhili Tiefu Kettle creates a distinct visual contrast with 'China White Porcelain,' coincidentally forming a unique 'Taiji diagram of handicraft art' in Tang County. An iron kettle, also called an iron bottle, is a utensil for boiling tea and water. Made from pig iron using traditional casting techniques and later hand-polished, the finished kettle has health, aesthetic, and collection value. In many historical documents, the origin of the 'iron kettle' is traced to Japan's Edo period, but this is not true. The originating country of the 'iron kettle' is China. During the Tang Dynasty, it was passed to Japan through Sino-Japanese tea culture exchange. 'Zhili Tiefu Kettle' delves deep into this regrettable history, and through its brand culture building and market cultivation, it has brought 'iron kettle culture' back to the attention of the Chinese people.
The brand name 'Zhili Tiefu' originates from the birthplace of the brand's products and its manufacturing techniques. The 'Zhili Tiefu Iron Kettle' was born in the thousand-year-old city of Baoding, Hebei Province. It is steeped in five thousand years of Chinese tea culture and bathed in the three-thousand-year cultural pulse of Baoding, possessing profound historical heritage and traditional cultural charm. The term 'Iron Mansion' stems from the pursuit of excellence in the crafting of the iron kettle, a symbol of quality. With the brand positioning of 'inheriting history and promoting culture,' Zhili Tiefu focuses on creating original high-end iron kettles. Using pig iron from Longfeng Mountain, it employs the traditional lost-wax casting process and uses a German spectrometer to analyze each furnace of molten iron to ensure the trace elements meet standards. With meticulous workmanship and artisanal dedication, it organically integrates function and art in the iron kettle. It also cooperates technically with Japanese counterparts, carefully researching material selection, forging techniques, and surface treatment, while incorporating elements of China's long historical culture to enhance the taste and connotation of Chinese iron kettles.
In terms of brand momentum, it fully showcases the image of Chinese artisans, evoking the Chinese people's lament over the loss of 'iron kettle culture' and their cherishing of its recovery. The history of the iron kettle and the various techniques of its creation have built a grand historical stage for the brand 'Zhili Tiefu,' endowing the brand with appeal and powerful scene content.
The theme of the 'Third Baoding Tourism Industry Development Conference' is: 'Exhibit Poverty Alleviation Achievements, Promote Rural Revitalization.' Poverty alleviation is an economic battle, an industrial battle. Poverty alleviation is not just about bringing money; more importantly, it is about giving people in impoverished areas development ideas that fit the times. We believe that cutting-edge concepts and strategic thinking in dimensions such as brand awareness, market prospects, and product positioning are the true significance of displaying 'poverty alleviation achievements'!
