The Ode to Grazing Cows Stamp Album 

Showing the Charming World Cultural Heritage

《牧牛颂》邮册

方寸间展现世界文化遗产魅力

At the 4th “Chongqing Gifts” Tourism Commodities (Cultural and Creative Products) Competition and Foreign-Affairs Gifts Title Awarding Ceremony, the “Ode to Grazing Cows” stamp album, jointly developed by Chongqing Dazu Rock Carvings International Tourism Group Co. Ltd. and China Post Dazu Branch, was successfully selected in the list of “Chongqing Gifts”. The stamp album reproduced the niche statues “Grazing Cows” of Dazu Rock Carvings through “stamps + text/images” in a traditional folding style, like 12 painting scrolls slowly demonstrating a pastoral lifestyle...

Exploring the Artistic and Cultural Value and Appealing of Rock Carvings

The Dazu Rock Carvings is the largest group of grottoes in southern China, known as the last monument in the history of human grotto art. 50,000 statues represent the new glory of grotto art after the grotto art entered its last stage during the Song Dynasty. As a world cultural heritage site, Dazu Rock Carvings feature extreme artistic, historical, and scientific value.

At the western end of the southern cliff of Dafowan, Baoding Mountain, there is a group of 27 m sculptures called “Grazing Cows”, 12 statues in total. These sculptures describe the idyllic life images, including the herdsmen who herd cattle with a whip or leisurely walk with cows, or whisper with each other, or play the flute or fall into sleep with a bare chest, the cows who lick hooves or drink water or lay down for a rest in the tranquil forest with a flowing spring and rugged trails. Featuring intensive philosophical and artistic appeal, these sculptures compare cows to the inner heart of people, and the herdsmen to the practitioners, demonstrating the Zen practice process with the interaction between the herdsmen and cows.

Inspired by this group of sculptures, the “Ode to Grazing Cows” stamp album vividly presents various scenes in combination of real-life photos and illustrations, with unique collection and cultural value.

“How to display the rich diversity of Dazu Rock Carvings in a small album is the key to our design.” The creative team of the “Ode to Grazing Cows” introduced that, “We add the Dazu Rock Carvings stamps and the Year of the Ox stamps issued in 2002 next to each illustration, to fully demonstrate the unique charm of Dazu Rock Carvings to the public through ‘stamps+text/image’.” It took six months to finalize the whole layout and artwork upon repeated revision and adjustment. The stamp album has been popular with visitors after being issued.

Cultural and Creative IP Reviving the Cultural Heritage

In addition to the stamp album “Ode to Grazing Cows”, based on the extensive culture of Dazu Rock Carvings, the cultural and creative team of Dazu Rock Carvings have designed and developed unique cultural and creative products such as convenient incense holders inspired from rock carvings, incense burners, bookmarks, earrings, necklaces, and pendants. A cultural and creative brand “Dazu in the World” has been built for rock carvings.

The “Dazu in the World” takes tangible rock carving cultural and creative products as a carrier to deliver the artistic beauty and philosophical ideas presented by rock carvings.

“Fundamentally, for cultural heritage tourism, heritage functions as a carrier, while culture is the soul and tourism is a means for revival and promotion of cultural heritage.” Liu Xingming, General Manager of Chongqing Dazu Rock Carvings International Tourism Group Co. Ltd., said: “Next, we will coordinate the tourism development with featured operation, while giving a priority to the heritage protection, in pursuit of novelty, uniqueness and knowledge based on customer needs, make every effort on the innovation and revival of cultural heritage, vividly present cultural heritage stories, history and culture, and constantly improve people’s knowledge, perception and interaction in cultural tourism experience, so as to effectively turn cultural heritage from cultural resources to tourism products, and attract more visitors both at home and abroad.”

Bringing Dazu Rock Carvings to the World by Innovative Preservation

In recent years, the “Dazu in the World” has participated in many domestic and international cultural exchange activities, and promote Chinese culture to the world. In 2018, the brand took over the Times Square New Year’s Eve countdown to promote Chongqing and signed the “Cooperation Agreement for Group Travel to Dazu” with PanAmerican Travel Services. In 2019, the brand hosted and organized the CFA China National Team “Dazu Rock Carvings Cup” International Football Championship (U-22) and other events. In 2020, the brand worked with the new media platform to launch themed events such as “Virtual Tour to Dazu Rock Carvings” and “Highlights of Rock Carvings”. In 2021, the brand worked with China Express Airlines to promote the brand by decorating the cabin themed on Dazu Rock Carvings and highlight the IP image.

This year, the cultural and creative products of “Dazu in the World” were invited to attend 2023 China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair, well received by domestic and international guests. At the Perception of Chongqing 2023 German and French Book Copyright Trade and Cultural Roadshow, these products were given to foreign guests as gifts to promote Dazu excellent traditional culture to German and French people.

According to Liu Xingming, Chongqing Dazu Rock Carvings International Tourism Group Co. Ltd. will organize the dance poetry drama “Dazu in the World” by investing RMB15 million on the theme of Dazu Rock Carvings and show extensive culture of Dazu Rock Carvings to both Chinese and international visitors in a more intuitive and vivid way, so as to realize truly innovative preservation of cultural heritage, revive the treasure on the cliff and show it to the world.

Photo/Interviewees

《牧牛颂》邮册。

在第四届“重庆好礼”旅游商品（文创产品）大赛颁奖典礼暨外事礼品命名授牌仪式上，由重庆大足石刻旅游集团和中国邮政大足区分公司联合开发的《牧牛颂》邮册成功入选“重庆好礼”外事礼品。邮册采用传统的折页形制，以“邮票+图文”方式生动再现大足石刻《牧牛图》全龛组像，12幅田园牧歌的生活画卷徐徐展开……

深挖石窟艺术文化价值和感染力

大足石窟宝项大佛湾南崖西端巨幅组雕《牧牛图》。

大足石刻是中国南方最大的石窟造像群，被誉为石窟艺术史上最后的丰碑，5万余尊石窟造像演绎了石窟艺术于宋代步入晚期后的再度辉煌。作为世界文化遗产，大足石刻具有极高的历史、艺术、科学价值。

其中，在宝顶大佛湾南崖西端，有一龛长达27米的巨幅组雕《牧牛图》，共计12幅。画面中山径崎岖、林泉幽静，牧人或挥鞭驯牛、牵牛徐行，或并肩耳语、横笛独奏，或袒胸露怀、憨然憩睡，牛群或舔蹄饮水，或跪地而息。该图以牛比心，以牧人借指修行者，通过牧人与牛的互动，表现禅门修行的过程，具有深刻的哲理和艺术感染力。

《牧牛颂》邮册就以此组石刻为切入点，通过实景照片结合绘制插画的形式，详细展现了各个生动场景，具有独特的收藏价值和文化价值。

“如何在一本小小的邮册里，将大足石刻尽量丰富地展示，这是设计的关键。”《牧牛颂》邮册创作团队工作人员介绍：“我们在每一个插画场景旁，精心配置了2002年发行的大足石刻邮票和牛年生肖邮票，以‘邮票+图文’的方式向大众充分展现大足石刻的独特魅力。”版式和画稿经过反复调整修改，历时6个月完成，发行后备受游客青睐。

文创IP助推文化遗产“活起来”

好运莲莲项链。

大足石刻文创团队植根于大足石刻深厚的文化底蕴，除《牧牛颂》邮册外，还以石刻为创作灵感，设计开发出便捷式香盒、香台、书签、耳饰、项链、挂饰等独特的文创产品，并创立石刻文创品牌“天下大足”。
“天下大足”以有形的石刻文创产品为载体，传播石刻造像呈现的艺术之美以及哲理之思。

千愿花冠书签。

“从根本上来讲，文化遗产旅游的载体是遗产，灵魂是文化，旅游是活化与传播手段。”大足石刻旅游集团总经理刘兴明表示，接下来将在坚持保护的前提下，全力统筹好旅游发展、特色经营，围绕游客求新、求异、求知的消费需求，全力做好文化遗产创新活化这篇“大文章”，将文物故事、历史文化更加生动地呈现出来，不断优化人们在文旅体验中的知识浓度、感悟深度和互动程度，实现文化遗产从文化资源向旅游产品有效转化，进而吸引更多中外游客。”

创新传承让大足石刻走向世界

大足文创亮相2023深圳文博会重庆展馆。

近年来，“天下大足”积极参与国内外文化交流活动，推动中国传统文化走向世界。2018年，在美国时代广场参加新年倒计时庆典重庆旅游推介活动，与泛美亚旅游集团签订《组团赴大足旅游合作协议》；2019年，主办、承办CFA中国之队“大足石刻杯”国际足球锦标赛（U-22）等赛事活动；2020年，携手新媒体平台推出“云游大足石刻”“秀出高光石刻”等主题活动；2021年，与华夏航空公司开展“专机”品牌宣传合作，打造属于大足石刻的“主题机舱”形象IP。

今年，“天下大足”文创产品受邀亮相2023深圳文博会，收获了国内外宾客一致好评。在感知重庆·2023德法图书版权贸易与文化推介活动上，该系列文创作品作为伴手礼赠予外宾，向德法两国民众推介大足优秀传统文化。

刘兴明表示，大足石刻旅游集团将投资1500余万元创制以大足石刻为主题的舞蹈诗剧《天下大足》，用更加直观生动的方式向中外游客展示大足石刻丰富的文化内涵，真正做到创新传承，让刻在崖壁上的瑰宝“活起来”“走出去”。

文/杨艳

图/受访者提供