DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Tuesday, February 4, 2020 | 17 LIFE Dream collection on show

An exhibition examining the cultural legacy of ’s literary masterwork Dream Wudang Tai Chi records the tai chi practitioners in China. of the Red Chamber is now available at the National Museum of China website, Lin Qi reports. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

daptations of works of intellectual property, such as online literature, that have been made into Chicago movies and drama series, are sweep­A ing Chinese mass media and prov­ ing lucrative. enjoys the Yet creating successful IP prod­ ucts is not the monopoly of modern artists. More than 250 years ago, in wonder suburban , a man named Cao Xueqin made one such work which has endured for centuries — despite of China never having benefited from its suc­ cess. Cao, who was plagued by destitu­ CHICAGO — About 100 people tion and illness, authored a semi­au­ gathered in the Claudia Cassidy tobiographical novel titled Dream of Theater of the Cultural Center in the Red Chamber. In the work he downtown Chicago on Saturday drew on the rise and fall of his own to watch four short documentary once well­connected family to films about Chinese culture and describe the tragedy of an extended photography. feudal family surnamed Jia. Asian Pop­Up Cinema, a semi­ He first circulated copies of the and related documents and objects annual Asian film festival, pre­ manuscript among his friends, who of historic value which have sented the program, which was were touched not only by the down­ emerged ever since the 1963 show. part of the citywide Chinese New fall of the Jia clan, but also by the For example, a refined and Year celebration in the third larg­ distressing love story between the detailed album of 230 paintings, est city of the United States. two main characters, and which narrates the story of Dream of “This is our fifth year to partic­ . People were also caught the Red Chamber and took the 19th­ ipate in the citywide Chinese up by the hypocrisy and cruelty of century painter Sun Wen some 36 New Year celebration,” Sophia the upper classes, which exposed years to complete, is also on display Wong Boccio, founder of the film the worsening social crisis in 18th­ at the show. It was rediscovered in festival, says. century China. the collection of Lyushun Museum The four documentaries show­ Sadly, Cao died of grief in 1763 in Dalian, Liaoning province, in cased were selected from the soon after his only son’s death. He 2004 and reintroduced to scholars Wonder of China documentary was unable to see his work make it of . series. Each lasting 30 minutes, to print. The first edition of which As well as the new academic the films present the different was published in 1791 earned him depths it achieves, the exhibition cultures and landscapes of Chi­ the respect of literary aficionados will also present a carnival for na. “They were produced by the and casual readers, alike. aficiona­ China Broad View Cultural Com­ Today, Dream of the Red Chamber dos where they will be amazed by munication Center in Beijing,” is acknowledged as one of the pin­ all kinds of peripheral collectibles Boccio says. nacles of Chinese literature. It offers that have been produced to exem­ Wudang Tai Chi is about Tao­ an encyclopedic understanding of plify the novel’s far­reaching influ­ ism­derived Chinese martial art Chinese art and culture, including ence. that emphasizes not only kung fu poetry, music, operas, folk customs, The eye­catching objects on show movements, but also the harmo­ handicrafts, architecture and gas­ include colorful yuefenpai calendar ny between humanity and tronomy. posters and commodity posters, nature, whereas The Legend of This work of fiction still enjoys a popular during the first half of the Shadow Puppetry is about the wide readership both at home and 20th century, which depict scenari­ performance art that has been abroad, where it has been translated os of Dream of the Red Chamber and passed on for generations. into more than 100 languages. It mostly feature leading figures of the Amazing Music from Nature also prompted the development of a time such as Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu showcases Khoomei, a tradition­ field of exclusive study known as and Xue Baochai. al Mongolian art of singing. In Redology. One poster shows Baoyu and the film, multiethnic young Opened in December at the Daiyu visiting , another musicians combined modern National Museum of China, an exhi­ main character who was a Bud­ folk elements with the Khoomei bition titled The Sole Pinnacle and dhist nun who also resides at technique, forming a new musi­ an Immortal Masterpiece pays trib­ , or Grand View Gar­ cal style. Their music powerfully ute to Cao and his only known liter­ den, which provides the setting for illustrates Mongolian nature and ary work. much of the story. the nomadic lifestyle. A selection of editions of Dream of Interestingly, instead of treating Yarlung Zanpo Grand Canyon the Red Chamber published during her guests with quality tea as it is presents a group of Chinese wild­ the Qing Dynasty (1644­1911) are on described in the novel, Miaoyu life photographers who went to display at the show, alongside relat­ presents a bottle of the cocoa that the most inaccessible canyon in ed artifacts that reflect the social the poster advertised. the Tibet autonomous region context in which Cao lived and Dream of the Red Chamber has and photographed more than wrote. long been one of the most adapted 800 wild species and the beauti­ Suspended on Jan 25 amid the pieces of Chinese literature. For ful landforms. growing coronavirus outbreak, the example, Peking Opera arias based “I attend many Chinese New exhibition can still be visited online. on the novel’s plot and sung by the Year celebration activities,” Kam The exhibition also gathers late master artist Mei Lanfang also Liu, 71, a veteran in the Chicago together a range of adaptations and became classics. Chinese community says. “This is other works inspired by Dream of The exhibition displays two so different and beautiful.” the Red Chamber, a time­honored black­and­white photos, both from “I love the shadow puppetry,” work that remains more popular the collection of the Chinese said Adam Para of Chicago. than any other piece of Chinese lit­ National Academy of Arts, one Para said that he had been to erature. showing Mei portraying Daiyu in China many times, but this was Bai Yuntao, deputy director of the an opera­film titled Daiyu Buries the first time he was exposed to National Museum of China and Top: A Qing Dynasty painting Grand View the Flowers from 1924, and another the art of shadow puppetry. Para exhibition curator, says, “Dream of Garden is on show. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY in which he played Qingwen in a shows a text message on his cell the Red Chamber is recognized as Second from top: A Qing­era edition of play titled Qingwen Tears the Fan in phone from his 20­year­old the epitome of Chinese culture and Dream of the Red Chamber with illustra­ 1916, both noted scenarios from the granddaughter who said she had history, embodying aesthetic values tions on show. JIANG DONG / CHINA DAILY novel. attended a Chinese New Year cel­ in terms of poetry, music, architec­ Above: A painting on display. PROVIDED TO Several video screens are also ebration in London. “We love cel­ ture and other forms of art. It is also CHINA DAILY installed at the exhibition where vis­ ebrating Chinese New Year,” he considered a literary peak difficult Right: A set of traditional pastries, inspired by itors can choose from some 36 films, says, laughing. to be exceeded in terms of quality a Qing painting titled Feast at Yihong Court­ dramas, operas and folk tunes “I’m stunned by the beauty of and influence. yard, is on offer to visitors. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY inspired by the novel, ranging from the photographs,” the 49­year­ “Ever since its birth, the novel has a 1944 film in which Zhou Xuan, the old Guillermo Morales who came garnered a myriad of praise.” iconic singer and actress, portrays from Chile and lives in Chicago He says the exhibition’s title is tak­ Daiyu, to a performance of the work now says. “The wildlife and scen­ en from a commentary by Liang given by the San Francisco Opera in eries the photographers were Qichao, a noted historian, philoso­ 2017. able to capture are amazing.” pher and politician who lived dur­ Dream of the Red Chamber is Specially created for the exhibi­ “I find the Mongolian musicians ing the late 19th century and early recognized as an epitome of tion, a set of traditional Chinese most amazing,” Martin Montoya, a 20th century. guozi pastries which contain eight friend of Morales, says. “The sing­ Liang said, “When talking about Chinese culture and history, types of filling will be offered at ing is so dynamic and powerful.” Chinese novels, Dream of the Red embodying aesthetic values in stands in the museum and in its The Chinese Consulate Gener­ Chamber is the sole pinnacle and an cafe, when the show reopens to the al in Chicago provided stuffed immortal masterpiece that makes terms of poetry, music, public in the future. The National animals and other items as raffle other works not worth mentioning.” architecture and other forms of Museum of China will remain awards for the attendees. “Liang spoke highly of the work, art.” closed until further notice. Jessica Peterson, 43, who was although his opinions sound a little The cakes resemble eight flowers visiting Chicago from Minneapo­ too assertive,” Bai says. Bai Yuntao, deputy director of the National that appear in a 2.3 meter­long lis, was among 10 lucky winners Liang commented in another arti­ Museum of China and exhibition curator Qing­era painting in the National of the raffle awards. cle that, “People who read Dream of Museum’s collection which is also “This is a happy rat,” she says, the Red Chamber always feel a lin­ on display at the current exhibition. raising two identical red stuffed gering attachment to it, or a sadness general of the Society of Dream of context in which Dream of the Red influence. He adds that the exhibi­ The painting, titled Feast at rats in her hands. “My 10­year­ caused by it.” the Red Chamber in Beijing, says Chamber was born, presented sev­ tion will only serve to further deep­ Yihong Courtyard, depicts a vivid old son will love them.” Bai says the selection of docu­ the last, similarly grand celebration eral editions of the work and chart­ en study and interest in the novel, scene from the novel in which a doz­ The citywide Chinese New Year ments and artifacts related to Cao of this masterpiece was in 1963, ed the development of Redology and as many members of his society en of principal female characters celebration in Chicago started on and Dream of the Red Chamber have when an exhibition was held at the and presented other relevant arti­ were involved in organizing the gather at a night gala to celebrate Jan 25 and will last until Sunday. been drawn from the collections of a Palace Museum to mark the 200th facts, as well as Cao’s biography. exhibition, they plan to give talks Baoyu’s birthday at his residence, Programs include a variety of per­ dozen museums, libraries and other anniversary of Cao’s death. He says the 1963 show not only about their latest academic find­ Yihong Courtyard. formances, parades, special events cultural institutions from around He says with its unprecedented honored the memory of Cao, but ings. and hands­on artistic activities. the country. solemnity and scale, the exhibition also offered an insight into the cul­ The ongoing exhibition also Contact the writer at He Weiguo, executive secretary­ in 1963 introduced the historical tural depths of the novel and its includes new editions of the novel [email protected] XINHUA