1.6 The Schools of Ronghua
Ronghua can be broadly categorized into Southern and Northern schools based on their styles. Southern school techniques, such as those from Nanjing, Yangzhou, and Huai'an, feature richer colors and more lifelike forms. Northern school techniques, including those from Beijing and Tianjin, exhibit more exaggerated shapes, making them suitable for abstract floral expressions, with red as the dominant color.
From the perspective of the production process, the naming of steps and procedures differs between the Southern and Northern schools. For example, the step of twisting velvet strips is called "cuotiao" (搓条) in the Northern school, while in the Southern school, it is referred to as "goutiao" (勾条). The Northern school's "shahuor" (刹活儿) corresponds to the Southern school's "dajian" (打尖), and the Northern school's "cuanhuo" (攒活) is equivalent to the Southern school's "chuanhua" (传花). However, regardless of whether they belong to the Southern or Northern school, the differences lie primarily in style and procedural naming—their essence remains that of Ronghua.
In this book, the author meticulously presents a variety of unique Ronghua floral designs. These works are the culmination of the author's personal journey in self-learning Ronghua techniques, developed through relentless exploration into a personalized theoretical framework and practical methodology.
Initially, the author's exploratory path included attempts to blend Southern and Northern techniques and experiments with altering procedural sequences. However, through systematic and in-depth study of Northern school Ronghua, the author scientifically refined and optimized their existing operational processes. This effort aims to provide valuable reference for readers embarking on their own self-learning journeys, wishing everyone an enjoyable and rewarding experience in their studies.
