玉兔下凡：一份来自北京残疾人的中秋礼物 | The Chinese Rabbit Gods

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Legend has it, a plague broke out in ancient China long time ago. Chang’e, the Chinese goddess of the moon, sent the Jade Rabbit that lived on the moon to the mortal world to help cure the people. The Lord Rabbit has since been a traditional lucky mascot in Beijing – immortalized in a sculpture dating back to the Ming Dynasty and in annual rituals during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

兔儿爷是一种北京民间的传统吉祥物，最早源于明末的祭月泥偶。传说，古时候京城闹瘟疫，嫦娥派月亮上的玉兔下凡为百姓治病。

But one man in the Chinese capital has chosen the figurines of the Rabbit God to extend love to people with mental health disorders and do them justice.

During the Mid-Autumn festival, which falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, families make offerings to the Lord Rabbit, thanking it for bringing luck and happiness to people.

从此，每到农历八月十五中秋节那一天，家家都要供奉它，酬谢它给人间带来的吉祥和幸福。

Lord Rabbit figurines were children’s toys during the Qing Dynasty. Now, the craft of making these clay sculptures is inscribed as an intangible cultural heritage by the Beijing Municipal Government.

到清代，兔儿爷成为了一种儿童玩具。现在，兔儿爷是一项北京非物质文化遗产。

Zhang Zhongqiang was born and bred in Beijing, and he has been crafting these mud statuettes for over three decades. As the fifth inheritor of the “Shuang’s Clay Sculpture”, his hands have sculpted countless figurines over the years. However, each of his creations is special in its own way.

张忠强是一位土生土长的老北京，北京双氏泥彩塑第五代传人，从事民间泥彩塑已经三十余年。从他手中，诞生了大量的兔儿爷作品。

The sculptures are ornaments symbolizing good luck, but they can also bring happiness to people.

不过，这些兔儿爷有自己的特性。他们不仅可供装饰、祈福之用，还能真切地为一些人带来快乐和幸福。

Inspired by his father's condition, Zhang took the decision to help people with mental disabilities and teach them the art form he loves.

这要从张忠强的父亲说起。因为父亲曾身有残疾，张忠强特别乐意帮助和父亲一样的人群，传递爱心。

At Sweet Home, sponsored by the  China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF), people with disabilities can undergo rehabilitation and psychological counseling all the while learning how to make their own figurines.

“温馨家园”是一个专为残疾人服务的社区组织，由北京市残疾人联合会主办。在这里，残疾人们可以进行康复训练、心理咨询，并获得一定的生活服务。

The activity is a great outlet for them to create, innovate and let their imagination run wild.

张忠强时常到大栅栏街道的温馨家园，教残疾人们捏兔儿爷。

The students translate their inner thoughts into an array of expressions they paint on the clay statuettes.

与大部分想象中的残疾人群体不一样，温馨家园的残疾人就像孩子一样，有着纯真快乐的笑容，脑子里充斥着各种各样丰富的想法。

“I think the Lord Rabbit should have all sorts of emotions, just like us,” Zhang said.

“我想，兔儿爷应该和我们人一样，有着喜怒哀乐”。

The end result of each session is a group of figurines as diverse, unique and special as they creators, with each participant injecting a bit of their own personality in their creation.
他们制作的兔儿爷不落窠臼，有着各种各样的造型和神态，反映出了他们各自的性格。这些兔儿爷，还有这些残疾人的其他作品，都是对自己内心世界的表达。

It is no secret that society often infantilizes people with disability, look at them with pitiful eyes and perceive them as incapable individuals. However, Zhang challenges these skewed perceptions by giving those who take part in his workshops a platform for self-expression and a chance to be effective members of society.

也许常人难以理解他们的想法，但不可否认，残疾人也有着丰富的精神世界。因此，社会对他们的尊重，也不仅仅局限于出于生理状况的谦让，而是像常人一样对待他们，让他们做自己力所能及的事情，自食其力。

Their works are sold at Sweet Home's charity store, and each year, during the Spring Festival, they receive red envelopes that contain the sum they made from the works that were purchased. 

如今，这些残疾人制作的工艺品被放在温馨家园的义卖小站售卖。每年过年的时候，这里的残疾人们会收到一个红包，里面就是他们自己捏兔儿爷的劳动所得。大家非常喜欢这种方式。

People at the institution treat Zhang like a family member, and share everything with him, even the tiniest aspects of their life. Their bond only gets stronger through times of happiness and frustration.

这里的残疾人们像对待真正的家人一样对待张忠强，毫无保留地与他分享生活中各种鸡毛蒜皮的小事。高兴的时候同他分享，生气的时候也毫不掩饰。

Zhang said he cherishes his friendship with his students, and feels like the relationship he built with them has purified him.

在与他们的相处中，张忠强觉得自己的生活也得到了净化。

Zhang, his father, the students and those who bought the Lord Rabbit figurines are all connected without knowing.

从父亲到张忠强，从张忠强到在义卖商店里购买兔儿爷的客人们，他们共同传递的，是一种爱。

Love ties them all together – not the kind that warrants sympathy and pity to people with disability, but the genuine feeling that supports equal treatment and opportunity for everyone.

这种爱不仅仅是对残疾人的同情、体谅，更多地是一种平等交心，是对他们真正的尊重。

Cameraman: Li Minhua

Film editor: Zheng Hanyue

Story written by: Zhu Siqi

English editor: Nadim Diab 

 

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