Friday, July 13, 2018 23 LIFE CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION
A childfriendly version of Artist captures lines A Dream of Red Mansions has just of the times in ancient been released, reports Mei Jia. Shanxi architecture
By CHENG YUEZHU She says: “As someone easily [email protected] satisfied, I feel quite content that he could maintain our current liv Wearing an umbrella hat and a ing conditions with his hobby. It’s dark blue outdoor jacket, Lian Da priceless how his endeavor could sits quietly on a tiny folding chair be recognized by so many people.” in the overgrown wilderness of As the Great Wall holds such Shanxi province. With a black pen significance to both of them, they and a whiteboard, he gazes at the hosted an ecological and econom relic in front of him for hours and ic wedding on the Great Wall in sketches its remaining glory. 2007, with 40 or so friends from an Often accompanied by nothing online forum for fellow enthusi other than the suspicious looks of asts. passersby, the mosquitoes buzz After getting married, Lian ing with hunger, and occasionally reduced his Shanxi journey to a curious wild cat, Lian has devot strictly two months a year, one in ed himself to this cause for almost spring and one in autumn, in two decades. Ever since his early order to take care of his family. 20s, he has traveled to Shanxi For the rest of the year, Lian is a every year to record the fading freelance illustrator who has pub ancient architecture there. lished four books about his jour “They have been in existence for neys, which include his sketches 1,000 years, but we have only four and his compilation of the infor or five hours gazing at each other,” mation on the historical sites. says Lian, speaking of his motiva Though he sees himself an CLASSICAL TEXT GETS tion for enduring the hardship and “ordinary person”, Lian is recog solitude. nized by some of China’s most “The reason why I give priority prestigious professionals, one of to the collapsing ones is because I them being Qi Dongfang, a profes may not have the opportunity to sor at the School of Archaeology see them any more. Time and tide and Museology at Peking Univer NOVEL TREATMENT wait for no man.” sity. Lian’s odyssey began in 1999, or those Chinese who want when the 21yearold man first left to find their cultural roots, his hometown in northeastern there’s nothing better than China to “see the world”. classical traditional texts. “Having not seen much ancient FAnd Liu Xinwu, 76, a writer and architecture growing up, I was renowned expert on A Dream of Red instantly captivated when I first Mansions, says the novel is the best visited the historical sites,” says gateway into traditional Chinese Lian. culture, not only because of its liter During his stop in Beijing, Lian ary merits, but also because of the met a stranger from Shanxi prov many cultural aspects contained in ince whose inadvertent remark the novel like poetry, culinary tradi about the rich cultural heritage of tions, tea culture, costumes and Shanxi changed the course of his architecture. life. On Monday, Liu released a sixvol Without a clear travel destina ume series of his guide to the tion, Lian at once decided to go to ancient novel for young readers, ide Shanxi. ally aged from 5 to 9. Partly in awe of the exquisite The novel, one of the country’s ness of the architecture, and partly four greatest ancient classical texts, because he could not afford a cam was written by Cao Xueqin (ca. 1715 era, Lian bought a pen and a note 63), and is loved by millions of Chi book and started recording what nese readers, among whom was late he saw. chairman Mao Zedong. “It was more doodling than The late leader was known to have sketching,” says Lian, explaining read through the original text many that he has had no professional times, according to Party history training in painting or architec researcher Chen Jin. Core Classics, while in Britain, kin ture. “You can talk about it (the novel) dergarten kids are encouraged to Lian’s drawing style is largely only after reading through it at least perform Shakespeare’s plays, ele influenced by the picture story five times,” Mao had said. mentary school students are recom books which he often traced by Liu’s publisher, Yang Zheng from mended abridged versions of the hand as a child. the Tiandi Press, says a recent read Bard’s works, and students aged “I like the clean and neat line er survey found that 92 percent of 1114 read at least one of his works,” drawing style. It can highlight the Chinese parents would love to give Zhu says. main object of the scene, since the the novel to their children, but 51 “The versions or forms don’t mat surroundings of the architecture percent of them were not sure if the ter too much. If the classics suit the can be chaotic,” says Lian. Top: Lian Da’s sketch of the historic novel was suitable for children children, it’s fine to read them, and “As for the drawing techniques, I Feiyun Pavilion in Shanxi province. under 10, in terms of content and better if parents can read them could only learn these from hard Above: Lian sketches at the Qiyan language. together with their children,” adds work and practice. Temple near Zhongtiao Mountain. As for Liu’s view, he says: “It (the Zhu. “I never aimed to go far in art. I PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY novel) isn’t that easy to understand. As for Wang Zhigeng from the always position myself as an It is quite sophisticated, and differ Kids Library of the National Library ancient architecture enthusiast, ent readers see different things. But of China, he sees Liu’s series as a way and sketching is merely a way of In Lian’s 2017 book Xunfang for me, its charm lies in its depth of to bridge the transition from picture expression. Shanxi Gumiao (Visiting Ancient questing for the ultimate meaning Liu Xinwu releases a sixvolume series of his guide to A Dream of Red Man books to reading more texts. “And rather than traveling for Temples in Shanxi), the foreword of life and the significance of surviv sions for young readers, featuring handdrawing illustrations by Zheng Qinyu. Zheng Qinyu, the illustrator of the days to arrive at a historical site was written by Qi. al which also makes it unique in a Elementary school students perform a scene from the classic novel during the series, spent months on the pictures and leave in half an hour, I prefer In the foreword, Qi describes sense.” book’s launch in Beijing. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY in the books to help young readers. sitting there for hours, just to keep Lian as a “kindred spirit” though What Liu does in the 50 chapters “I chose watercolors, colored pen it company.” the two have never met, saying, of the six books is to avoid the cils and finepointed technical Lian is constantly faced with “Lian’s paintings are commenda sophistication, and focus on the the novel to adult readers, but now drawing pens to create the works, people’s incomprehension. ble for they bear a resemblance to characters, the scenes and the relat he is responding to demands that he instead of using a computer,” says During his travels, he is often reality in both form and spirit. I ed stories, like Daiyu burying the take the classical novel to even Zheng. mistaken as a thief of cultural arti can see that Lian has a deep petals, drunk Xiangyun sleeping in younger readers. While the series may be meant for facts and is therefore shunned by understanding and knowledge of the flower garden and Miaoyu serv He has begun to act. As part of children, there are also adults who villagers. And sometimes when ancient architecture. ing tea. this outreach, he has produced could use Liu’s latest work. the villagers refuse to drive him to “Although Lian’s individual “I try my best to bring the beauti audio lectures for children and Columnist and blogger Li Ling, the town center before dark, he strength is meager, he may be able ful, the pleasant and the interesting turned them into a series, besides better known as San Chuan Ling, has had to sleep in a dilapidated to inspire more people to join in from the novel to young readers,” offering cultural references in the says she reads A Dream of Red Man temple surrounded by coffins. the cause.” says Liu. books to festivals, customs, toys, sions once a year, but she knows Even now, although his deeds Lian says he has visited every “I’m giving the kids a glimpse of tales and even legendary swords. some adult readers who need help in have been publicized by various county in Shanxi province, yet he the light and joy that the book For Yang, Liu has made the classic getting through the novel, and Liu’s media organizations, he is some plans to go back. brings, which will stay with them as approachable and his books are a version could be a handy option. times attacked on the internet for “It is impossible to paint all the they grow older and can explore the boon to Chinese parents who are “It (the novel) is like crab in the being irresponsible for his family, ancient architecture in one or two original novel themselves.” anxiously pushing to introduce the autumn, and tea collected right while in fact, what Lian is most visits. And I also want to redo my Liu’s new series was inspired by I try my best to classics to their children. before Tomb Sweeping Day in the proud of is having a loving family unsatisfactory works. After all, I the stories he told his 6yearold But some people doubt if Liu’s spring. Reading the novel is some that supports his cause — his wife have the energy to delve into only granddaughter. bring the beautiful, take is the best way, or if people thing the Chinese appreciate very Wang Hui in particular. this one area.” The author, a former editor with a should stick to presenting the origi much,” she says. “We were in a relationship for Lian calls for the public to pay literary magazine, is known for his the pleasant and the nal texts of the classics to the young Liu’s book will also soon be availa seven years before getting mar more attention to the endangered works of fiction and lectures on Chi interesting from the er generations. ble in foreign languages, coming ried, and I took her to hike along ancient architecture, as a lot of na Central Television about A Zhu Yongxin, the vicepresident of first to Southeast Asia, says Yang, the Great Wall many times. lesserknown architecture has Dream of Red Mansions. novel to young the Chinese Society of Education, who represents the publisher. “When we were in the wild, we fallen into disrepair or been In 2011, Liu raised public interest says it’s common practice in many “Liu’s version offers an easy access went through thick and thin incorrectly restored by locals. in the novel by releasing his own readers.” countries to provide children with for foreign readers who are interest together like comradesinarms. While public enthusiasm for his version of the work because the access to literary classics as early as ed in the book,” he says. That is why she supports me so work may fade, Lian aims to put existing 80 chapters by Cao Xueqin Liu Xinwu, writer and renowned possible. much.” on his backpack, embark on his are believed to be unfinished. expert on A Dream of Red Mansions “In the United States there’s a Contact the writer at In Wang’s eyes, Lian is, in fact, “a journey once again and record the For years, Liu has been promoting Core Knowledge curriculum with [email protected] homeloving family man”. architecture in Shanxi.