16 | Thursday, November 19, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY LIFE An unlikely man of letters

A former street peddler’s obsessed devotion to the ancient Chinese language and literature has sent him straight from high school graduate to professor and media darling, report Wang Qian in Beijing and Yang Jun in Guiyang.

ai Wei’s childhood fascina­ field that he attracted the attention tion with ancient Chinese of prominent scholar Qiu Xigui, a characters has taken him a professor at Fudan University who long way. even made changes to his own work CThe 48­year­old scholar, who was based on Cai’s suggestions. born to a modest family in Jinzhou, Cai had also communicated about Liaoning province, teaches three academic issues with several schol­ courses — ancient­Chinese writing, ars by mail since the 1990s. paleography and calligraphy — at “Many experts can’t compete with Anshun University in Guizhou prov­ him in the realm of classical litera­ ince. ture,” says Qiu. He made national headlines in 2009, when he was accepted into a Winning recognition PhD program at the Center for The internet also helped Cai get Research on Chinese Excavated closer to experts and enabled more Classics and Paleography of Fudan people to recognize his talent. University in Shanghai for his His online name is Baoxiao, expertise in ancient Chinese litera­ which means devotion to ancient ture, although he failed his college Chinese writing. entrance exam years ago. China Youth Daily quoted Dong “It’s unique to go directly from Shan, a professor at the Peking Uni­ high school graduate to doctoral versity’s School of Archaeology and student,” he says. Museology, as saying that Cai is inti­ He graduated from Fudan Uni­ mately familiar with ancient classics versity in 2015 and became a teacher and can always spot mistakes. at Anshun University. His students When his wife fell ill in 2007, Cai often remind Cai of younger ver­ borrowed 50,000 yuan from rela­ sions of himself. tives. To make ends meet, he had to He has never told them about his work as a roadside peddler by day days as a street peddler. He then and a tricycle courier by night. used every break to read ancient It was the first time he felt life was classics, including works by Laozi, too harsh. Zhuangzi and Han Feizi. He still “It was a really difficult period, remembers that he had to sell at but my interest in literature didn’t least 50 popsicles to buy a second­ He says he read over 300 books at Cai Wei teaches three cease,” he recalls. hand book for 5 yuan (76 US cents). a local library in one year during courses — ancient­Chinese When he mentioned his situation Cai now spends most of his time senior high. writing, paleography and to Dong, he helped Cai to join a in his office, indulging in ancient “I looked for any book related to calligraphy — at Anshun research project on ancient texts at texts and trying to interpret the the Chinese language and literature University in Guizhou Fudan University in 2008. exact meanings of obscure scripts. in the library, which opened my province. The former street His outstanding performance The field he’s researching is mind and made me figure out what I peddler made national impressed his teammates. xiaoxue, which is the general really wanted to pursue,” Cai says. headlines in 2009, when Qiu and professors Li Jiahao and description of the philology, phonol­ But Cai failed the college entrance he was accepted into a Wu Zhenwu recommended that he ogy and exegesis of the ancient Chi­ exam and became a worker at a local PhD program of Fudan apply for a PhD program at Fudan nese language. rubber factory in the early 1990s. University in Shanghai for University. He has published about 10 papers, During the three years at the his expertise in ancient After thorough discussion, he was and his book was published last year. plant, he spent all his free time in Chinese literature. accepted in April 2009. “If there is no academic signifi­ the library, reading “nearly every PHOTOS BY WANG JINGSHUO / FOR In 2000, Fudan University cance, there is no need to write a book inside”. CHINA DAILY announced changes to its admis­ paper. A good essay should solve a He was laid off from the factory in sions policy to give professors more problem at least,” Cai says. 1994. With no money, no degree and leeway in selecting their PhD candi­ He has gone viral on the micro­ no skills, he didn’t have many choi­ dates. Previously, only those with at blogging platform Sina Weibo. ces. least a master’s degree could apply. Many netizens find his story inspira­ He initially took a temporary job At age 38, Cai began his studies tional and say his story proves the making steamed bread at a canteen I looked for any for a doctorate in ancient Chinese idiom, “Knowledge is power.” for 100 yuan per month. It lasted for language at Fudan University under a year. Later, he purchased a tricycle book related to Qiu’s supervision. A classical obsession and started his street­vendor life. the Chinese He completed the degree six years His interest in Chinese characters He lived on the seventh floor of a later. started when he learned calligraphy building without an elevator. So, he language and Cai then sent dozens of job­appli­ in primary school in Jinzhou. had to carry 20­kilogram boxes of literature in the cation letters and finally got an offer There were so many traditional water and food, such as popsicles in from Anshun University. characters that he didn’t know and summer and sunflower seeds in library, which Although he’s a media star, Cai had to find in the dictionary. His winter, downstairs every morning opened my mind says he just wants to live a quiet life classmates and teachers nicknamed and upstairs every evening. tral­heating fee, which meant his street vendor, Cai immersed himself and devote himself to the study of him the “dictionary walker”. He could make hundreds of yuan home froze every winter. The indoor in books, especially titles related to and made me the ancient Chinese language and He later started reading Chinese every month and was happy that he temperatures sometimes fell to ancient Chinese writing and litera­ figure out what I literature. poems and lyrics. had a lot of time to read while wait­ nearly ­20 C, he says. ture. He copied ancient books that “It has been a long and plodding Cai was good at literature but ing for buyers. When he earned “My wife always complained that libraries couldn’t lend out, page by really wanted to journey on my own. Being famous didn’t excel in other subjects, such money, he’d go to secondhand book­ it was no use studying such ancient page. It took him over 20 days to pursue.” can bring no good,” Cai says, smiling. as science and math. He never stores, where he could find cheap, literature, but I really love it,” Cai copy the Confucian classic, Erya, he thrived in school but flourished at and sometimes good, books. says. says. Cai Wei, university teacher Contact the writers through the library. He couldn’t even afford the cen­ During his more than 10 years as a He learned so much about the [email protected] Empress set to impress in new TV drama

By XU FAN marriage making her the country’s The Liao Dynasty was founded by [email protected] most powerful woman and enabling nomadic Khitan tribes, who her to fulfill her ambition to lead the brought tents to move with seasonal There’s an old saying that behind Liao Dynasty to unprecedented sta­ changes and hunting prospects. every great man is a great woman. bility and prosperity. Jiang says she has adjusted the writ­ This is indeed true in the case of Actress Tang Yan, who shot to ing style to make dialogue more emperor Jingzong. His wife, Xiao fame with the 2009 fantasy sequel straightforward and candid to Chuo — also known as Xiao Yanyan Chinese Paladin 3, stars as Xiao. match with nomadic literature. — assisted him to propel the Khitan­ Actor Shawn Dou plays Han, who Although China has surged as one ruling Liao Dynasty (916­1125) to the later becomes Xiao’s most reliable of the world’s largest TV­drama pro­ zenith of prosperity, making her one official, and actor Jing Chao, who ducers, small­screen tales about the of a few legendary women who portrays the protagonist’s emperor Liao Dynasty remain limited, mak­ changed Chinese history. husband. ing props and settings a huge chal­ The 48­episode TV series, The Leg­ Interestingly, Xiao was depicted lenge for the crew. end of Xiao Chuo, has run on Beijing as a villainous figure, who led her In a recently released documenta­ Satellite TV and streaming site Ten­ army to fight against rival Song ry about the drama, the creators cent Video since Nov 3, guiding audi­ Dynasty (960­1279) troops in the recall that they consulted experts ences to examine the history and 16th­century novel, Generals of the and visited museums to tailor culture of the Liao, a dynasty that fea­ Yang Family. installment of her trilogy to retell around 800 costumes in nine weeks, tures less on domestic screens. As the novel is very popular and the story of China’s turbulent period as well as constructing nearly 50 The series adapted from writer has spawned many operas, TV series from the eighth to 12th centuries, an dome­shaped tents decorated with Jiang Shengnan’s award­wining and films, the new series has stirred important chapter in which China’s lavish cloth to build film sets on eponymous novel reached a 1.74 per­ controversy online. ethnic groups advanced integration. Inner Mongolia’s grasslands. cent rating on the first day, soaring Jiang, who also serves as the TV The trilogy’s two other stories are Khitan royals’ and aristocrats’ use as the second most watched TV drama’s scriptwriter, says she about Liu E, the wife of emperor of gold in daily life, including in series then, and related topics have believes it would be fair to think Zhenzong, who became the actual tableware, jewelry and saddles — is generated 880 million “clicks” on about history from a different per­ ruler of the Song Dynasty in the ear­ also reflected in the drama. China’s Twitter­like Sina Weibo. spective. ly 11th century, and Mozang, the “We hope the new drama could The biographical story spans While multiple regimes existed wife of emperor Li Yuanhao, who raise interest (in the Liao Dynasty), about four decades. It begins with during the same eras in Chinese his­ founded the Western Xia Dynasty in drawing viewers to know more Xiao’s teen years as the carefree tory, Jiang says it would help mod­ the 11th century. about history,” says Jiang. daughter of a high­ranking official’s ern audiences to understand the Jiang, a native of Wenzhou, Zheji­ Despite receiving mixed reviews family. It depicts her romance with periods with a more complete and ang province, traveled to Chifeng domestically, the drama has won The authoritative her childhood sweetheart, Han profound perspective if the history and Baarin Left Banner in North popularity overseas, exemplified by Derang. can be told from all regimes’ per­ China’s Inner Mongolian autono­ its scores of 8.2 points out of 10 on voice of China Hong Kong Edition But her talent and foresight in spectives. mous region, respectively the Liao MyDramaList and 9.3 points on Subscription: 852-3465 5413 strategy and administration capti­ The Legend of Xiao Chuo marks Dynasty’s birthplace and former Viki, two major fan sites for Asian vates emperor Jingzong, with their such an effort. It is planned as one capital, for research. Advertising: 852-3465 5426 TV dramas.