Zamtang county and a dedicated group of inheritors are striving to preserve the traditional art of Jambhala Tibetan pottery 壤塘县及其执着富有奉献精神的文化传承者们正致力于藏式黑陶制作技艺的传承与发展

　　The development of Jambhala (God of Wealth) Tibetan pottery has a history of nearly 2,000 years and is an indispensable part of Tibetan culture.

　　Since ancient times, Zamtang county in Sichuan province has been making black pottery. The clay is made from the soil taken from snow-capped mountains at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level. The black pottery, with its distinctive local characteristics and patterns, is also on the brink of disappearing. In a bid to pass down the traditional craftsmanship to the next generation, Choi Wang established the Jambhala Tibetan Pottery Training Institute with the help of the Zamtang county government, which gathers all local pottery masters to promote and preserve the traditional art form.

　　Over time, the workmanship of the Jambhala Tibetan pottery has become more mature, as has the aesthetic of the items made using it. Artisans taking up the medium have injected new life into the pottery through exquisite design.

　　In recent years, Zamtang county issued a directive to promote cultural innovation and development, which allocates millions of yuan in subsidies each year for cultural institutes, supporting the performance of Tibetan operas, along with the production of thangka (Tibetan art of scroll painting), Tibetan incense, Tibetan tea, Tibetan medicine, as well as stone carving, pottery, traditional costume and folk songs in northwestern Sichuan.

　　Now 27 institutes have been founded, and at present, there are more than 3,000 farmers and herdsmen in the county engaged in preserving intangible cultural heritage, learning folk skills, making cultural products, increasing the income of the locals, promoting the integration and development of cultural tourism, and establishing the cultural industry as the most important economic driver in the county. 壤巴拉藏陶拥有近2,000年发展历史，是藏文化里不可或缺的一部分，曾一度面临失传的绝境。

　　四川省壤塘县自古以来就有制作黑陶的历史，其陶土取自于海拔4,000米以上的雪山。壤塘黑陶制品具有鲜明的地方特色和独特的花纹款式。为了传承、发展黑陶制作技艺，在壤塘县政府的帮助下，藏式黑陶制作技艺传承人班马求派创办了壤巴拉藏式陶艺传习所。传习所聚当地陶艺大师之力，促进黑陶技艺的传承与发展。

　　经过长时间的发展和积累，现在壤巴拉藏陶的制作工艺已十分成熟，具有较高的审美价值和艺术价值。巧夺天工的匠人们让漆黑如墨、质地坚硬的黑陶焕发出勃勃生机与活力。近年来，壤塘县出台了《关于促进壤塘县文化创新发展的决定》，每年安排上百万元资金用于非遗传习所一次性建设补助，从扶持藏戏演出，逐步扩大到唐卡、藏香、藏茶、藏药、石刻、陶艺、觉囊梵音、传统服饰、川西北民歌等。

　　目前，该县已建起27个非遗传习所，有3000余名农牧民群众从事非遗文化保护传承，学习民间技艺，制作文化产品，拓宽增收门路，推动文化旅游融合发展，使文化产业成为县域经济最重要的支柱产业。

　　A trainee devotes himself to making a pottery jar at the Jambhala Tibetan Pottery Training Institute.

　　藏巴拉陶艺训练中心，一名学员在投入的制作陶器。