The topic of "cultural relics restoration" has been very hot from the documentary "I Repaired Cultural Relics in the Forbidden City" which attracted continuous attention not long ago to the establishment of "Cultural Relics Hospital" in the Forbidden City. Recently, Zhongxin.com reporter interviewed Wang Jin, the bell room restorer of the Cultural Protection Science and Technology Department of the Palace Museum and one of the protagonists of "I am restoring cultural relics in the Forbidden City", and learned the story behind the restoration in detail.

From restorer to "the male god of the Forbidden City"

Recently, Wang Jin, a repairman in the watch room of the Cultural Protection Science and Technology Department of the Palace Museum, was recognized as "asking for a photo" from time to time when he was walking down the street, and he has been interviewed by waves of media for a year. Some people called him "an Internet celebrity" and "the goddess of the Forbidden City", but Wang Jin shook his head. "It's still because the cultural relics displayed in the film are very attractive." .

Wang Jin and his colleagues are still working in the original clock room because the equipment of the "Cultural Relics Hospital" in the Forbidden City is still under repair. There is a pile of old clocks to be repaired on the big table facing the door. Some of them are intact, but others are in ruins ... Wang Jin reminded reporters who filed in, "Be careful, put down your bags first and don't touch cultural relics".

What he is repairing is a clock in Qianlong period. The removed parts are everywhere on the workbench: springs, gears ... although they have been "falling apart", it can still be seen from the components that they are very delicate designs. While looking at the base of the clock, Wang Jin pointed to the method of water and the position of the gear. "After the repair, this little monkey can worship God and the bat can move."

"Repairing antique clocks and watches is second to none. There are many things, all kinds. I can't see it anywhere else. " After his popularity soared, Wang Jin never thought that he could change to a job with higher income. "Where else are the cultural relics more attractive than the Forbidden City?"

Challenge the "magic clock" with thousands of parts.

In fact, up to now, Wang Jin can't tell exactly how many clocks have been repaired, and can only say a rough figure: two or three hundred. In the list of the most difficult ancient clocks to repair, Wang Jin often mentioned the "magic clock".

According to the data, the "magic clock" was made by Swiss watchmaker Louis Rocat in Daoguang for nine years, with a height of 70cm and a width of 50cm. There is an old juggler in the clock, with beans and balls in his hand. When the gear rotates, the clockface bird will open its mouth, turn around and flap its wings. The three disks will change color and rotate at the same time.

"There are thousands of parts in that clock. I have to take them down one by one to check." This originally broken clock was repaired by Wang Jin and his disciples, and it was slowly approaching recovery. When debugging, it is still a test of the patience of mentoring. "The gears in the clock are all buckled one by one. If something is wrong, it won't turn at all."

Fortunately, Wang Jin is a patient person. After the "Magic Clock" was restored, it was exhibited in the Netherlands for half a year on 20 10.

Day after day, going to work at eight o'clock and getting off work at five o'clock, Wang Jin is not bored. "The appearance and structure of clocks are different, that is, a pair at most, but the movement will also change. It's interesting to watch these little things move by hand. "

"Occupational disease" left by repairing clocks and watches

Well, Wang Jin has a lot to do with the Forbidden City. In the past, his grandfather worked in the library of the Forbidden City. Wang Jin often delivered meals when he was young. Less than 20 years old, he took his grandfather's class and entered the Forbidden City. In the clock repair room, his master is Ma, who is also the second generation inheritor and the third generation of ancient clock repair skills.

"When I first came, there were two or three people in the clock room."

In the first year, Wang Jin didn't have access to cultural relics at all. He just started with basic skills, such as getting some copper wire and filing a pin. "In the second year, I was qualified to contact cultural relics. Try to repair simple movements. The first three years are basically the stage of laying the foundation. "

In Wang Jin's impression, the first clock he officially restored was a "three-sided clock": a movement with three clock faces, each of which can tell the time. "That was in the 1980s. Although it has been done for two or three years before the repair, I am still a little nervous and worried about whether it can be repaired. "

Clocks that are easy to repair may be completed in two months, and those that are difficult may take a year or more, especially those ancient clocks that are broken and have completely rusted parts. Get a cultural relic to be restored, open it and clean it ... a small part that needs to be supplemented by yourself; The extra-large gears that must be replaced are all taken down and customized in specialty store, but this frequency is not high.

Throughout the year, he doesn't go abroad many times. But whenever there is an opportunity, Wang Jin always finds time to look at the clocks and watches collected by foreign museums. He laughed at himself. "It's like an occupational disease."

20 17 schedule

After staying in the Forbidden City for decades, Wang Jin said that he "likes this job" and "I have strong hands-on ability". Do it if you like it. "

20 17 years, Wang Jin is busier. In front of us is an exhibition at the end of February. Wang Jin, his colleagues and disciples are working hard to overhaul the exhibits, and a "watch training class" will be held in the second half of the year ... Wang Jin is counting with his fingers.

"These clocks on the table are also waiting to be repaired." Wang Jin pointed to some ancient clocks that looked embarrassed. "They are all from the Qing Dynasty. They just came out of the warehouse like this, and this' broken frame' will take some effort. "

Wang Jin is also optimistic about the inheritance of watch repair skills. He said that it had never been broken before, and now the country and the Forbidden City attach so much importance to it that they will not "date". "It's just that the age structure of the bell master is too large. It's best to increase the maintenance personnel step by step in the future, otherwise it will easily break down."

"There will be seven or eight people in this workshop in the future, and the number will be enough." Wang Jin is very satisfied with his current working condition, but the only slight regret is that some clocks haven't had a chance to be repaired.

"There's a writer clock that I haven't used yet." Wang Jin smiled shyly. "After working for a long time, the more complicated the clock is, the more exciting it is."