Zhu Huan Ji Xing (Revised Edition)

Author: San Xie Lian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: Starting in the 1940s, Huang Chang began consciously collecting handwritten calligraphy and ink works from his fellow writers and scholars. Over time, the collection grew, and dozens of modern masters such as Zhang Yuanji, Shen Yinmo, Ma Xulun, Deng Zhicheng, Zhou Zuoren, Xu Shouchang, Shen Congwen, Fei Ming, Mao Dun, Zhu Ziqing, Ba Jin, Bing Xin, Cao Yu, Ye Shengtao, Yu Pingbo, Qian Zhongshu, and Yang Jiang were invited to contribute. During the Cultural Revolution, these manuscripts, like the author's personal library, suffered the same fate and were confiscated. After the Cultural Revolution, part of the collection was "retrieved like pearls," leading to this series of over thirty "Reminiscences of Happiness" texts: The (essays) take the handwritten calligraphy of writers and scholars as their starting point, either recounting the author's interactions with them or reviewing their lives, works, and research, or appraising their calligraphic styles. The style resembles that of a record of friendships and companionships, yet it also incorporates the approach of a biographical critique. Now, most of these modern masters have passed away, and the fleeting memories on paper have become historical relics. Reencountering the great figures through the preserved ink works evokes a mix of emotions as one contemplates their moral integrity and literary achievements.