RUNNING HEAD: A STUDY OF CHINESE COUPLETS ON STRUCTURES IN HONG KONG

14th ICLICE Seoul 2019 057-043 Chiu Kay Tang

A STUDY OF CHINESE COUPLETS ON STRUCTURES IN HONG KONG

Chiu Kay Tang Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Chu Hai College of Higher Education 80 Castle Peak Road, Castle Peak Bay, New Territories, Hong Kong [email protected]

Abstract The couplet is an important Chinese cultural heritage. It is a combination of the artistry of using the Chinese language in a poetic manner and writing the in an aesthetic way. Hong Kong has numerous places, sites, or historic buildings which are adorned with couplets. Many of these couplets are not only very well-composed by famous writers but also very well-written by famous calligraphers. Information on the history, culture, and anecdotes of the literary arena of Hong Kong provided by these couplets may contribute to a better understanding of local history, customs and behaviour of the inhabitants. The ongoing 2-year research aims to salvage this precious part of Hong Kong literature, art, and culture by recording couplets posted or inscribed on outdoor and indoor structures in Hong Kong before they are destroyed in the course of time. It employs a combination of the methods of field study, library research, and data analysis. Field study consists of visiting sites where couplets are likely to be found, targeted structures being temples, pavilions, pagodas, quadrangles, and Chinese gardens. After the couplets are recorded and photographed, the research assistant will go to the Public Records Office and libraries to search the archives for their background information. The research outcome will consist of a monograph containing all the couplets recorded. Information on the locations and descriptions of the structures where the couplets are found will be provided. The form, tonal and rhythmic patterns of the couplets will be carefully examined and analyzed with the aim of clarifying the rules for couplet composition. The present paper will use illustrative examples to show how these couplets give us useful information on local history and culture. Their artistry and tonal and rhythmic patterns will also be examined.

Keywords: Chinese couplets, Hong Kong Structures, rules for couplet composition, history and culture

Introduction The Chinese antithetical couplet is an important Chinese cultural heritage. The composition of couplets has been popular among the Chinese people for more than a thousand years. It is a tradition of the Chinese to compose couplets for important occasions such as the , marriages, birthdays, funerals, and other special social interactions. Couplets are often put up on the doorways for decoration in Chinese communities worldwide and are frequently found outdoors in pavilions, temples, graveyards, pagodas, quadrangles, and Chinese gardens. Numerous excellent couplets demonstrating accurate command of diction and syntax and encapsulating thought-provoking ideas with a minimum number of words have been composed since this art form came into being. Although there is no formal record of all the couplets written by known or unknown authors from ancient times to the present, the total number of couplets that have ever been written is estimated to be at least one hundred thousand. In 2006, the “couplet custom” has been

14th International Conference on Language, Innovation, Culture and Education (ICLICE) & 3rd International 61 Research Conference on Management, Leadership & Social Sciences (IRCMALS) 14th & 15th June, 2019 A STUDY OF CHINESE COUPLETS ON STRUCTURES IN HONG KONG officially included in the National List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in China by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China. Obviously, the couplet is regarded as an integral part of traditional Chinese culture. However, this art form has never secured its deserved place in the history of . Since the publication of Lin Chuan Jia’s ( ) A History of Chinese Literature》）in 1904, a book hailed as the first book on the history of Chinese Literature written by a Chinese scholar, dozens of books on the same topic have been written. However, none of them have paid any attention to the countless good couplets in existence and devoted a section, if not an entire chapter, to give an account of this art form that should be considered as an independent genre. A few books on the history of Hong Kong literature written by Mainland scholars and about twenty books on different aspects of Hong Kong literature written by Mainland or local authors have been published since 1990s. However, none of them has examined the numerous couplets composed locally. Since 2014, Hong Kong scholars have started to edit and publish the voluminous Great Series of Hong Kong Literature 1919-1949 ( 1919-1949). As the chief editor has indicated in the preface to this Series that until now there is no book on the history of Hong Kong literature written from a local perspective, therefore, it is hoped that this Series would serve as the foundation for the composition of such a book. The Series strives to compile and organize the materials necessary for this purpose. This twelve-volume Series is an anthology of works covering prose, fiction, literary criticism, new poetry, children’s literature, popular literature, and classical literature written by Hong Kong authors or composed in Hong Kong. This anthology differs from similar anthologies of the “great series” nature published in the Mainland, Taiwan, and Malaysia in one very important aspect: it includes a special volume dedicated to works written in the classical style. As the chief editor says in the preface to this Great Series, “there are lots of Hong Kong intellectuals who are able to write poems and essays in the classical style; …this kind of literary work is an important expression of the literature and culture of Hong Kong” ( 1919-1949 ， 26 ) . The special volume is an anthology of prose, and poems written in the classical style. This is an unprecedented inclusion in anthologies of the “great series” nature published so far. However, to my great disappointment, local couplets have not been included. Apart from the Great Series, a few anthologies of works written in Hong Kong in the classical style have been published during the last twenty years. Again, these anthologies only collect shi and ci poetry but do not include couplets, although many of the authors appearing in these anthologies are also very good writers of couplets. After the First Opium War, China ceded Hong Kong to Britain in 1842. Since then, over the decades, hundreds of thousands of China migrants fled to the Colony to avoid domestic upheavals, among them were numerous famous scholars and poets who were excellent writers of Chinese literature in the classical style, including couplets. Therefore, it is not surprising to find that numerous places, sites, or historic buildings in Hong Kong have been decorated with couplets. Many of these couplets are not only very well-composed by famous writers but also very well-written by famous calligraphers. Obviously, they are of great literary and aesthetic values and deserve to be preserved and recorded. Those couplets found on structures which have been declared as monuments by the Antiquities Authority of Hong Kong will theoretically be properly preserved and protected. However, numerous other couplets posted or inscribed on structures that do not belong to this fortunate category may be partly damaged or even entirely destroyed over the course of time. According to historical record, some of these valuable couplets have already been destroyed. It is high time we make proper records of these couplets. Otherwise, this indispensable component of Hong Kong literature, art, and culture may be lost forever. 14th International Conference on Language, Innovation, Culture and Education (ICLICE) & 3rd International 62 Research Conference on Management, Leadership & Social Sciences (IRCMALS) 14th & 15th June, 2019 A STUDY OF CHINESE COUPLETS ON STRUCTURES IN HONG KONG

Apart from its preservation objective, the present study attempts to give a clearer picture about the rules for couplet composition. Many scholars believe that there are no hard and fast rules in composing couplets apart from the alternate use of oblique and level tones especially in the last words of the lines. Another group of scholars insists that there are stringent rules in couplet composition in respect of tonal and rhythmic patterns. A representative example of this group is Professor Yu Dequan ()a scholar from mainland China who propounds the theory of horse hoof rhythm ( ) in couplet composition. The couplets found on structures in Hong Kong are usually composed in a more serious manner by the literati. They adhere to the rules for composition, if any, more closely than couplets written by the ordinary people on occasions like wedding or birthday parties. Therefore, an analytical study of a substantial quantity of these couplets may give a better understanding of the rules for couplet composition.

Objectives and Impact The present research aims to salvage a precious component of Hong Kong literature, art, and culture by recording couplets posted or inscribed on outdoor and indoor structures. It is hoped that by compiling Hong Kong couplets, the position of this genre in the literary arena would be raised to a level equal to that of shi, ci poems and prose written in the classical style. The couplet is an integral component of local literature, and therefore future books on the history of Hong Kong literature will not be complete if this genre is not discussed. Scholars can only start to write comprehensive books on the history of Hong Kong literature if they are provided with all the necessary materials. The outcome of the present research would serve such a purpose. Local couplets contain valuable information on the history, culture, and anecdotes of the literary arena of Hong Kong, thus contributing to a better understanding of local history, customs and behaviour of the inhabitants. This kind of information is definitely important to the discipline of Hong Kong studies. Many excellent local couplets have been written by famous calligraphers. Therefore, they are not only precious literary works but also valuable works of art. Each of the couplet recorded would be accompanied by a photograph so as to give the readers a good chance to appreciate the artistry of the calligraphers. An analytical examination of the recorded couplets may shed light on the rules for couplet composition. The research outcome may also serve as teaching materials for courses dealing with the appreciation and composition of couplets offered by tertiary institutions in Hong Kong.

Research Questions 1. What is the significance of recording all the Chinese couplets on structures in Hong Kong? 2. Is there any set of strict rules governing couplet writing? If so, how would this research project contribute to the clarification of such set of rules?

Theoretical Framework Scholars in Chinese literature have regarded couplets as writings for practical purposes without much literary value although the content of many couplets are imaginative and emotional and their diction is figurative. Since the couplet was not a designated examination item in imperial examinations conducted in ancient China, there were no official guidelines for writing couplets. Books on the history of Chinese literature have not discussed or mentioned couplets. This research project aims to record and analyze all the couplets found on structures in Hong Kong in order to determine whether there are strict rules for couplet composition. If such rules do exist, then the research team would compare them with those governing the writing of classical . If the rules for couplet composition are

14th International Conference on Language, Innovation, Culture and Education (ICLICE) & 3rd International 63 Research Conference on Management, Leadership & Social Sciences (IRCMALS) 14th & 15th June, 2019 A STUDY OF CHINESE COUPLETS ON STRUCTURES IN HONG KONG akin to that for poetry, then scholars should regard the couplet as belonging to a genre and an art form deserving serious study.

Methodology

The present research employs a combination of the methods of field study, library research, and data analysis.

Field Study Field study consists of visiting sites where the research team would most likely find couplets. The targeted structures for the collection of couplets include temples, pavilions, pagodas, quadrangles, Chinese gardens, and old buildings. To facilitate field study, the research team would divide the whole of Hong Kong into four large districts, namely Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories, and the Outlying Islands, according to their geographical locations. These large districts will then be subdivided into smaller districts. Ideally, one smaller district will be inspected on the same occasion by the research assistant. When carrying out inspection of these districts for couplets, the research team has paid special attention to the following sites and structures: 1. Since 1996, the Antiquities and Monuments Office of Hong Kong has carried out a survey and then an in-depth study of historic buildings in the territory. In March 2009 the assessment of 1,444 historic buildings was completed and these buildings were classified into three grades according to their heritage value. This process has been ongoing and as at 17th September, 2015, a total of 244 new items have been added to the list of historic buildings. In addition to these historic buildings, the “declared monuments” in Hong Kong also have very high heritage value. As of today, there are altogether 111 declared monuments. Special attention will be paid to these 1,688 historic buildings and 111 declared monuments because they have a high chance of being adorned with couplets. Background information on these buildings and monuments will be carefully studied by the research team before its members begin their visits so as not to miss the chance of finding couplets. 2. Apart from the above-mentioned historic buildings and monuments, there are a few old urban areas in Hong Kong where there is a high chance of couplets being found on the principal parts of the buildings. These areas include Shang Wan () and Sai Wan () on Hong Kong Island, and Yau Ma Tei (), Mong Kok (), To Kwa Wan (), and Kowloon City () in Kowloon. Each of these old urban areas will be subjected to detailed inspection. The locations and names of the structures where the couplets are found will be recorded and brief descriptions of the structures made. Criteria for Data Collection. The following criteria have be used in recording couplets: 1. The couplets must be original works of local authors or composed locally. 2. The couplets should normally be properly mounted or inscribed on structures. 3. Couplets which satisfy the above two criteria but can only be found in archives or on the internet will also be recorded. 4. Couplets transcribed from works by ancient authors will not be collected unless they are purposely rearranged in an artistic manner showing ingenuity. 5. Couplets composed for special occasions such as weddings and funerals will not be collected because their existence is only temporary. 6. Cliche couplets will not be collected.

14th International Conference on Language, Innovation, Culture and Education (ICLICE) & 3rd International 64 Research Conference on Management, Leadership & Social Sciences (IRCMALS) 14th & 15th June, 2019 A STUDY OF CHINESE COUPLETS ON STRUCTURES IN HONG KONG

Library Research Library research involves gathering information on Hong Kong couplets from books, microfilms, and e-resources. The internet will also be used to get useful information, especially photographs of couplets. This approach can help retrieve couplets once used to decorate certain buildings that had long been demolished. For instance, photos of one of the two well-written couplets hanging inside Tai Ping Cinema (), one of the largest cinemas in Hong Kong in early 20th Century, can still be found on the internet, although the cinema was demolished in 1981. After the couplets are recorded, the research assistant will go to the Public Records Office of Hong Kong (PRO), university libraries, and public libraries to search the archives for information on the background of the couplets, including their authors. This information may contribute to a full understanding of the meaning of the couplets.

Data Collation and Analysis The Chinese characters of couplets written in the style of oracle bone inscription or the cursive style may be difficult to identify. As the principal investigator of the research project, I will decipher all the problematic characters and re-write all the couplets in regular script using the computer. All the couplets recorded will be punctuated, using punctuation marks that are prevalent nowadays. This will certainly facilitate a better understanding of the couplets. Each couplet will be accompanied by at least one photo. Information on the authors, locations and descriptions of the structures where the couplets are found will be provided as far as possible. The form, tonal and rhythmic patterns of the collected couplets will be carefully examined and analyzed, with the aim of determining whether there is a generally accepted set of rules for couplet composition.

Findings The following passage in Chinese is an excerpt from the research outcome attained up to the present time. It consists of a brief description of the building, in this case a temple, where the couplet is recorded, a picture of the couplet, and markings of the level and oblique tones of individual characters of the couplet.

CW001 「」 1994 。， 1884 （、、）。 ，，，。 ，。 ，，；，、 。

14th International Conference on Language, Innovation, Culture and Education (ICLICE) & 3rd International 65 Research Conference on Management, Leadership & Social Sciences (IRCMALS) 14th & 15th June, 2019 A STUDY OF CHINESE COUPLETS ON STRUCTURES IN HONG KONG

： ，； ││││ ，。 │││││

Lo Pan Temple The Lo Pan Temple is located in Kennedy Town on the western end of Hong Kong Island. It was erected in 1884 by the Contractors’ Guild with donations from people connected with the construction trades. Lo Pan, who lived in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.), is the patron saint of practitioners of the three trades in construction, namely carpenters, masons, and plasterers. These three groups of workers often pay homage to Lo Pan and pray for his blessing. The birthday of Lo Pan is celebrated on the thirteenth day of the sixth Chinese lunar month every year among these workers. The temple is a two-hall structure built on a platform. On the two sides of the main door are engravings of the following Chinese couplet ，； ，。 This couplet consists of two lines, with two clauses in each line. “” in the first clause of the first line is “”, the state of Lu, the ancient country where Lo Pan was born. “” is “”the ink rope, which is a piece of rope soaked in ink to draw straight lines. “”is a pair of compasses, an instrument used to draw circles. The second clause of the first line (“”) means “handed down from generations to generations”. This whole line says that the instruments invented by Lo Pan have been used by construction workers for thousands of years. “” in the first clause of the second line stands for “”the Marquis of Beicheng. Lo Pan was conferred the title of the Marquis of Beicheng in the Yongle () years of the . “” are two kinds of sacrificial vessels. The second clause “”of the second line means “paying tribute for thousands of years”. This whole line means that people will continue to pay tribute to Lo Pan for the years to come. There are two broad tonal categories of Chinese words, namely the level tone () and the oblique tone (). The last word (“”) of the first line of the above couplet is an the oblique tone word while the last word (“”) of the second line is a level tone word. The research team of the present project has recorded 451 intact couplets on structures on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon so far. 401 of these couplets, amounting to 88.9% of the total number, conform to the above pattern of using an oblique tone word as the last word of the first line and a level tone word as the last word of the second line. Only 11.1% of the couplets deviate from this pattern by:

14th International Conference on Language, Innovation, Culture and Education (ICLICE) & 3rd International 66 Research Conference on Management, Leadership & Social Sciences (IRCMALS) 14th & 15th June, 2019 A STUDY OF CHINESE COUPLETS ON STRUCTURES IN HONG KONG

1. using oblique tone words for the last words of both the first and second lines; 2. using level tone words for the last words of both the first and second lines; 3. using a level tone word for the last word of the first line and an oblique tone word for the last word of the second line. It can be inferred from the above findings that the pattern of using an oblique tone word as the last word of the first line and a level tone word as the last word of the second line should be regarded as one of the most important rules for writing couplets. Of the 401 couplets that strictly conform to the above rule, 154 consist of two clauses in each line. The tonal composition of 129 of these 154 couplets is as follows: 1. The last word of the first clause of the first line is a level tone word, such as the word “”in the Lo Pan Temple couplet; the last word of the second clause of the first line is an oblique tone word, such as the word “”in the Lo Pan Temple couplet. 2. The last word of the first clause of the second line is an oblique tone word, such as the word “”in the Lo Pan Temple couplet; the last word of the second clause of the second line is a level tone word, such as the word “”in the Lo Pan Temple couplet. 3. The following is a diagrammatic representation of the above observation: 4. X X X L, X X X O; X X X O, X X X L. where X denotes a word in the couplet. The number of words in one clause is not fixed, it can vary from one to more than ten and they can be either level tone or oblique tone words. L denotes a level tone word, and O denotes an oblique tone word. A simpler representation of this pattern is as follows: L—O; O—L. 129 out of 154 couplets, i.e. 83.77%, adhere to this tonal pattern, only a minority (16.23%) deviate from it. Thus, this tonal pattern can be treated as one of the rules for the composition of couplets that comprise two clauses in each line. Another observation that can be made from the couplets recorded is related to couplets that consist of more than two clauses in each line. Of the 401 couplets that conform to the above-mentioned important rule for couplet composition (i.e. the pattern of using an oblique tone word as the last word of the first line and a level tone word as the last word of the second line), 52 consist of three clauses in each line. For example, the couplet fixed on the pillars inside Sam Tai Tsz Temple () in Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, is as follows:

，，； ││││││

14th International Conference on Language, Innovation, Culture and Education (ICLICE) & 3rd International 67 Research Conference on Management, Leadership & Social Sciences (IRCMALS) 14th & 15th June, 2019 A STUDY OF CHINESE COUPLETS ON STRUCTURES IN HONG KONG

，，。 ││││││ The tonal pattern of 35 of these 52 couplets is as follows: 1. The last word of the first clause of the first line is a level tone word, such as the word “ ”in the Sam Tai Tsz Temple couplet; the last word of the second clause of the first line is also a level tone word, such as the word “”in the Sam Tai Tsz Temple couplet; the last word of the third clause of the first line is an oblique tone word, such as the word “” in the Sam Tai Tsz Temple couplet. 2. The last word of the first clause of the second line is an oblique tone word, such as the word “”in the Sam Tai Tsz Temple couplet; the last word of the second clause of the second line is also an oblique tone word, such as the word “”in the Sam Tai Tsz Temple couplet; the last word of the third clause of the second line is a level tone word, such as the word “”in the Sam Tai Tsz Temple Temple couplet. The following is a diagrammatic representation of the above observation: X X X L, X X X L, X X X O; X X X O, X X X O, X X X L. A simpler representation of this pattern is as follows: L—L—O; O—O—L. 35 out of 52 couplets, i.e. 67.30%, adhere to this tonal pattern. Thus, this is the most usual tonal pattern for couplets consisting of three clauses per line, although it cannot be regarded as a hard and fast rule that composers of couplets must follow. According to this rule, if a line of a couplet consists of four clauses in each line, then the tonal pattern of the last words of the clauses of the two lines should be O—L—L—O; L—O—O—L. If a line of a couplet consists of five clauses in each line, then the tonal pattern of the last words of the clauses of the two lines should be O—O—L—L—O; L—L—O—O—L. That is to say, the last word of the last clause of the first line is always an oblique tone word, the last words of the third and fourth clauses of the first line are level tone words, the last words of the first and second clauses of the first line are oblique tone words. The opposite tonal pattern occurs in the second line. This tonal pattern of alternating two oblique tone words with two level tone words as the last words of the clauses also holds good for couplets consisting of more than five clauses in each line. Some scholars use the term “horse hoof rhythm” or “horse hoof tonal pattern”to describe this phenomenon. Although this tonal pattern is often strictly followed by serious writers of couplets, it is not universally accepted as the only pattern. As exemplified by couplets recorded in the present study so far, other arrangements of the last words of the clauses of couplets that consist of three clauses per line do exist. These patterns are as follows: 1. O—L—O; L—O—L. (7 couplets) 2. O—O—O; O—O—L. (2 couplets) 3. O—L—O; O—O—L. (1 couplet) 4. L—L—O;

14th International Conference on Language, Innovation, Culture and Education (ICLICE) & 3rd International 68 Research Conference on Management, Leadership & Social Sciences (IRCMALS) 14th & 15th June, 2019 A STUDY OF CHINESE COUPLETS ON STRUCTURES IN HONG KONG

L—O—L. (1 couplet) 5. O—O—O; O—L—L. (2 couplets) 6. O—O—O; L—O—L. (1 couplet) 7. L—O—O; O—L—L. (2 couplets) There are seven couplets (13.46%) that use the tonal pattern of O—L—O; L—O—L (pattern no.1 above) for the last words of the clauses of the first and second lines. This is the second most common tonal pattern besides the horse hoof pattern. This tonal pattern is accepted by many couplet writers as an alternative to the horse hoof pattern. The other six patterns are regarded as deviants from the two common patterns mentioned above, and they should be avoided as far as possible in the composition of serious couplets.

Discussion At present, the research team of this study has managed to record nearly all the couplets found on structures on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. It has also started to record couplets found on structures in the New Territories and the outlying islands. It will take about one more year to complete this research work. Before then, the number of couplets recorded so far may not be large enough to give a truly convincing conclusion as to the rules for couplet composition. However, from the evidences that the research team has gathered so far, there seems to be generally accepted rules governing the writing of couplets: 1. An oblique tone word should be used as the last word of the first line of a couplet; a level tone word should be used as the last word of the second line. 2. If a couplet consists of two clauses in each line, then the last word of the first clause of the first line should be a level tone word and the last word of the second clause of the first line should be an oblique tone word; the last word of the first clause of the second line should be an oblique tone word and the last word of the second clause of the second line should be a level tone word. 3. For couplets consisting of more than two clauses in each line, serious authors of couplets usually adhere to the following tonal pattern for the last words of the clauses: O—O—L—L—O; L—L—O—O—L. This has been called the “horse hoof rhythm” or “horse hoof tonal pattern”. The last word of a modern style poem (), a category of , is always a level tone word, as is the last word of a serious couplet. Composers of classical Chinese poetry alternate the use of oblique and level tone words as the last words of the odd and even lines. A similar practice for the last words of clauses of the two lines of a couplet is also adopted by writers of couplets. Except for the omission of the use of rhyme, the tonal patterns of couplets are very similar to that of modern style poetry. Thus, couplets should be regarded as a genre closely related to modern style poetry.

Conclusion It can be seen from the brief description of this study that the rules for the composition of couplets are nearly as strict as those for classical Chinese poetry. The poetic diction, the refined expressions, and the thought-provoking ideas incorporated in couplets are comparable to those found in classical Chinese poetry. Therefore, couplets should be regarded as a genre and an art form worthy of close examination, critical analysis, and thorough appreciation. Apart from contributing to the establishment of the rules for couplet

14th International Conference on Language, Innovation, Culture and Education (ICLICE) & 3rd International 69 Research Conference on Management, Leadership & Social Sciences (IRCMALS) 14th & 15th June, 2019 A STUDY OF CHINESE COUPLETS ON STRUCTURES IN HONG KONG composition, the present research project helps preserve an important component of local literature, art, and culture. In addition, the findings of the present project would definitely provide the necessary materials for future authors to fill the gap and write truly comprehensive books on the history of Chinese literature.

References Bard, S. (1988). Solomon Bard's in search of the past: a guide to the antiquities of Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Urban Council. Commissioner for Heritage's Office (2012). Hong Kong heritage tourism expo: access heritage: notes of a heritage visitor. Hong Kong: Commissioner for Heritage's Office, Development Bureau. Spurrier, P. (2011). The heritage hiker's guide to Hong Kong. Hong Kong: FormAsia. The work described in this paper was fully supported by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project No. UGC/FDS13/H01/17)

14th International Conference on Language, Innovation, Culture and Education (ICLICE) & 3rd International 70 Research Conference on Management, Leadership & Social Sciences (IRCMALS) 14th & 15th June, 2019