周華誠



從這個小鎮出去的玩具,占據了中國60%的教玩具市場份額。也就是說,但凡一個中國的孩子,他要買一個玩具的話,一半以上的可能性是從橋下這片土地上輸送出去的。
與童年重逢,在橋下,猝不及防。
仿佛一腳踏進童年的大海——有時候覺得自己歷經滄桑,早已忘了童年的模樣,但是一看見那么多的東西,內心的童年一下子復活了,蠢蠢欲動,好像重新摸到了天真的門口。
那是一個無比豐富的世界——色彩斑斕的小桌子小椅子,花樣百出的游樂園、迷宮、滑滑梯、秋千,趣味橫生的攀巖、爬繩、蹦床、穿越裝備,還有什么,海盜船、游戲木屋、鉆洞、滾筒、爬網、搖馬、蹺蹺板,什么樂高、積木、工程車——只有想不到,沒有找不到,好像跟童年有關的一切,連同那些跟隨童年的消逝一并被時光帶走的記憶,都被這幾個巨大的場館兼收并蓄了。
這是一座關于童年的寶庫,是魔法盒子、童年之城、童真世界——怎么形容都不為過。或者也可以這么說,當下中國的孩子一半以上的童年,都跟這片叫做橋下的土地有關,是不是很神奇?
一
橋下,這是一個小鎮,地處浙東南沿海地區,甌江北岸,屬溫州市永嘉縣轄下。如果把歷史往前翻半個世紀,這里也不過是一個普通的山中小鎮。即便今天到橋下去,也是開門見山,窗外有水,山水是橋下的自然景致。在歷史上,永嘉本就是山水秀麗的絕妙之地,也是孕育出眾多清麗山水詩的地方。
山水對于橋下鎮來說再尋常不過。后有括蒼山脈,前有秀麗甌江,此地雨量充沛,光照充足,讓這山水之間的小鎮仿佛停留在時光的褶皺里,波瀾不驚。
橋下是從什么時候開始改變的呢?
我們到永嘉橋下,去參加一個教具、玩具的博覽會與文化論壇。這令我眼界大開,我也第一次知道,原來橋下這個地方,真的是中國的“教玩具之都”了——從這個小鎮出去的玩具,占據了中國60%的教玩具市場份額。前幾年有一半的產品,出口歐美發達國家。
這數字使人驚訝。
也就是說,但凡一個中國的孩子,他要買一個玩具的話,一半以上的可能性是從橋下這片土地上輸送出去的。
這樣一想,不僅壯觀,而且有點震撼。都說孩子是祖國的花朵,也是祖國的未來;都說童年是一個人最重要的成長過程,童年過得開不開心,牽涉著一輩子對生活的看法。這樣一想,橋下就更顯得舉足輕重,橋下人的事業,也可算是國家大業。
交流時,有一位專家就說,現在的玩具,不僅僅是用來給孩子消磨時間的,而是有著益智健身、陶冶情操的諸般作用。這里頭,貫穿著許多獨特而先進的中西方教育理念,融合了孩子的深度學習理論,讓孩子們在開心的玩樂當中點亮自己的童年,開啟童智的時代。
確實如此,玩,是一件高深的事情。
我在玩具博覽城里參觀,隨便拉住一位攤主交談,他們都能侃侃而談,簡直就是專家——話題隨即展開,譬如:當下兒童的成長現狀、世界玩具的發展趨勢、玩具對兒童成長生理與精神的諸多益處——他們原先,不過是個農民,或是小鎮青年,但是當他們多年來與玩具耳鬢廝磨,潛心鉆研,而成為兒童學、游戲學的專家,隨便從手邊的一個小魔方或是一只木馬開始,話題就被引向了深入。
譬如我與一位稚氣未脫、看起來只有20多歲的小伙子攀談,他一開口,就說出了一連串的數字:兒童兩歲到三歲之間,三歲到五歲之間,五歲到十歲之間,攀爬動作是怎么樣的,跳躍動作占據多少,奔跑又有什么益處,他們原創開發的玩具,對這些孩子的成長分別有什么益處……
我再一細問,原來這小伙子是大學教育學院畢業的研究生,他的專業,就是研究孩子們怎么玩樂怎么游戲的。
這使我想起我自己的童年。在鄉村成長的孩子,哪有這么多新奇有趣的玩具,30多年前的我們只有田野溪流,森林沙灘,以及水牛的背,青蛙的鳴。那時我們好不容易結伴進一趟縣城,見到兒童公園的搖搖椅和旋轉木馬,就目光發直,口水直流,半天挪不動一個腳步了。鄉下的玩具,都是自制的,無非是木頭駁殼槍、香煙殼方片、舊瓦磨圓盤、鐵絲擰滾環,諸如此類,簡單至極,卻也曾讓我們玩得不亦樂乎。要是那時我們身邊有這么多的玩具,那該是多么讓人眼花繚亂、幸福得頭暈的事情。
所以,在橋下,不僅有綿延的大山、奔流不息的江河,還有孩子們的詩和遠方。
二
對于永嘉,其實我一直神往。除了早就知道永嘉有楠溪江、蚱蜢舟,山秀水麗,風物清嘉,我還有一位朋友叫舒行,兩三年前出了一本書《山里來信》,與我出的一本散文《草木光陰》同屬于一個“在野”書系。有一次,我們去武漢的書店做活動,便聽她聊起故鄉永嘉楠溪江山水間的見聞,以及四季光陰里的南方。言語之間,南方悠悠緩緩的生活日常便浮現出來,既遠且近,由此,我對于永嘉更添了一分親近。
謝靈運熱愛行游,“窮幽極險”。錢鐘書又說過,“人于山水,如‘好美色,山水于人,如‘驚知已”。永嘉山水與謝靈運的相遇,真是彼此的成全,永嘉山水在謝靈運的詩句里流傳天下,謝靈運也在永嘉山水間詩情勃發,奠定了他山水詩鼻祖的地位。今日我們重新走上永嘉土地,一山一水之間,似乎都有謝公留下的足跡或身影。而到了橋下,當我們從快速發展的商業場景里抽身出來,一轉身,就好像進入了謝公的山水之間。
在永嘉,水畔山間,云影林下,時常隱現著幾處書院、幾間民宿。到了傍晚,我們住進了一間鄉村的房子,門前有楠溪江靜靜流淌,窗外有竹林沙沙搖擺,仿佛自己便是謝靈運,白日行吟,夜晚棲宿。質樸的主人接待我們,捧出自然樸素的食物,我們晚上枕著山間的清風,沉沉入睡。
這就是永嘉的橋下,古老的橋下,既有人勇立經濟潮頭,去闖蕩大世界,也有人退歸田園,成為楠溪江畔的詩意生活者。在橋下,它的清麗自然風光,與它的經濟發展,就這樣成為一枚硬幣的兩面,渾然一體,不可分割,成為一篇全新的山水詩。
Seated on the northern bank of the Ou River, within the territory of Yongjia County in Wenzhou, Qiaoxia is a small town that enjoyed a reputation for its scenic beauty throughout its history. For outsiders, the town is a nice destination for sightseeing and leisure enjoyments while traveling in Wenzhou, Insiders, however, come here for the towns vibrant toy industry.
My visit to the town to attend a toy expo and a cultural forum was an eye-opening experience, to say the least. The small town is the proud supplier of about 60% of Chinas educational toys, half of which exported to European and American markets. It is no exaggeration to say the toy manufacturers based here are important contributors to the national education cause. It can be said that the towns toy innovators seem to know “how to play” better than their counterparts at home and abroad.
The days when children from rural areas had to make do with iron hoops for fun have long gone. In todays world, toys are designed not just for children to kill time, but are developed for them to explore through challenging and fun activities, as is fully shown by what I saw in the towns toy exhibition gallery. Visitors can learn about the latest trends of learning toys by taking a closer look at the booths displaying all kinds of models designed to not only entertain but also educate children. Whether it is a Rubiks cube or a wooden horse, the designers effort in developing childrens interest towards science, social studies, and various aspects of learning is easy to see.
One of the vendors I talked to was a young man majoring in education in his postgraduate years. He is just one of the towns many young, ambitious toy designers/manufacturers who know everything about how to design and manufacture quality learning toys with very fine details.
The visit to Qiaoxia also made my dream of admiring the mountain and river landscapes of Yongjia come true. Before I set my foot in this fairyland, I heard a lot about the gorgeous views of the Nanxi River and the areas enchanting social habits conserved from ancient times. My curiosity was also aroused by a book written by a friend of mine. When we met at a reading party in Wuhan, she couldnt help reminiscing about the refreshing scenic beauty of her hometown in Yongjia.
The ethereal scenery of Yongjia once inspired Xie Lingyun (385-433), a famous traveler and poet in the Northern and Southern Dynasties of China, so much so that he extolled the scenic charm of Yongjia in a series of poems that brought himself to the zenith of a new poem genre called by later generations as “nature poems”.
Despite the towns vibrant atmosphere of toy manufacturing, business visitors here would feel hard not to spare some time to unwind in one of the towns village houses and soak in the areas soothing views of bamboo forests and babbling streams.
In this lovely town rooted in unique historical identity and immersed in breathtaking landscapes, talented, brave and dedicated individuals who call Qiaoxia their home are giving newcomers the deepest impression and fleshing out the image of the towns true nature. It is as if the soul-healing scenery of Yongjia has fostered the best qualities of Chinese culture and humanity that would bear fruit over another millennium to the lasting benefit of the region.