ZHANG DAQIAN'S ARTISTIC
ACTIVITIES IN MACAU 

Advisor, Cultural Institute of the Government of the
Macau Special Administrative Region

CHOI SAN

 

 

        Dunhuang is an important town on the “Silk Road on Land,” and Macau the hub of the “Silk Route on Sea.” Dunhuang and Macau are two treasure houses of art and his turning points that greatly influenced Zhang Daqian in his lifelong exploration in art. In 1941, Zhang Daqian arrived at Dunhuang to further improve his technique by facing walls in grottoes for two years and seven months, absorbing much nutrition from frescoes in the Bei Wei period, the Sui dynasty, the Tang dynasty, and the Five Dynasties, which marked the first leap in his career. In 1949, at “the cross-over point of Chinese and Western cultures,” he lived in Macau for three months and a half, reviewing the historical trend and prospecting the direction of the Chinese art with unusual foresight. Delighted in expressing his feelings with brush, and intention with pen, he eventually decided to join the world after much reflection.

        An editor and journalist at a Macau newspaper of Oversees Chinese 16 years ago, I, like a “king without the crown,” made many friends and got to know a number of celebrities in different walks of life. Not merely did I learn much that cannot be acquired in school, I also collected many valuable materials concerning Zhang Daqian and his artistic activities in Macau.

        The unveiling of “The Exhibition of Zhang Daqian’s Copies of Dunhuang Frescoes and Seals Used in Da Feng House” in Macau today reminds me of the description two predecessors of the same circle made about Zhang Daqian, the master of art, and his stay in Macau. It even seems to me that the vigorous and unconstrained figure of Zhang Daqian and his bright and clear smiles and voice are still in Macau to stay.

 

I. Zhang Daqian in Huang Yunyu’s Recollection

        Huang Yunyu (1902-1988), a distinguished newspaperman and painter, worked in the field of journalism and education of art for many years. It was in 1983 that I made acquaintance with him in a gathering among writers and painters when he was already retired from work with one eye blind. He was still quite talkative, particularly over a cup of tea about anecdotes and events in Macau. As he had been a journalist for long we felt much close when we were together, and he also had time to visit his friends in the Newspaper office for he did not take care of his descendants any more as they were busy pursuing their own careers. Once noticing there was an album of Zhang Daqian’s paintings on my desk, he was much interested in telling me about Zhang Daqian’s visit to Macau in the spring of 1949.

        In the early of that year, Zhang Daqian held an exhibition in Hong Kong. Invited for a visit by Cai Keting, a wealthy businessman in Macau, he came to Macau after the Spring Festival the same year. The executive manager at the charity society under Jing Hu Hospital, Cai Keting lived at Number 18 of Datang Street behind the General Post Office of Macau. It was a large courtyard of Chinese style that was popularly known as “the House of Cai” (It was kept intact until the early 1980s when it was pulled down for the Yong Ji Mansion). Accompanied by his wife and descendants, Zhang Daqian came to Macau and lived at the guesthouse on the right side of the first floor. The drawing room arranged in the huge hall of the house, Zhang Daqian made use of the two square tables together for his work.

        Zhang Daqian had a good friend named Lu Shidong, a photographer, in Macau, who managed “The Artistic Studio” that was located on the ground floor of Li Si Mansion opposite the Benevolent Hall. A handsome studio then, it is fairly close to “the House of Cai°® where Zhang Daqian lived. Because of this, Zhang would walk down the Roquete to “The Artistic Studio” and talk about the relations of fine arts and photography with Lu Shidong. Huang Yunyu, too, had a very good relationship with Lu, thus making acquaintance with Zhang Daqian at the studio and also having him get to know some Macau artists: Rong Sushi, Ma Shaoru, and Zhao Mingshan.

        According to the recollection of Huang Yunyu, Zhang Daqian was warm-hearted to Macau artists; amiable without airs, he often invited the artists to “the House of Cai” to observe how he was painting or to exchange techniques and experience in art. On one occasion, Zhang particularly required that Lu Shidong take a group picture of Huang Yunyu, Ma Shaoru, Zhao Mingshan, Rong Sushi and himself in front of where he lived. Cherished for 36 years, it was shown to me by Huang at the Newspaper office. Having seen this valuable photo, I suggested that Huang Yunyu write an article of recollection to be published accompanied with the photo. It was carried on the Academic Sheet of the newspaper on June 23, 1985 with “Huang Shanke” as his penname. It is to be regretted that, at an advanced age with one eye blind, Mr. Huang’s article was rather simple. Besides, the Newspaper was not yet equipped with any machines of computer graphics at that time, the photo, therefore, appeared dark gray after it was processed by photogravure.

 

II. Encouragement of Younger Painters

        Huang Yunyu also recalled that Zhang Daqian never had any bias towards Macau painters who often belong to the Ling Nan School though he himself was from Sichuan. Zhao Mingshan, a pupil under Situ Qi, is a young painter of the third generation in Ling Nan School. After the review of his works of art, Zhang Daqian praised that Zhao had a solid foundation in painting and was very promising as a younger talent. Zhao Mingshan lived on gardening whose garden named “The Fragrant Garden” was located adjacent to the Adolfo Loureiro (now next to the Loureiro Park). Zhang Daqian not only loved portraying flowers, he also enjoyed growing exotic flowers and rare herbs so that he had had an exquisite garden when he was in Chengdu. Zhang Daqian, when he was in Macau, would often go to “The Fragrant Garden” and “The Loureiro Park” to view flowers and shared with Zhao Mingshan his experience in growing flowers. Fairly experienced in flower growing, Zhang even corrected some of the names that had been mistaken. He said, “We ought to bring along some flowers that we can grow at home and arrange in the vases and bottles so that we could be with them every day and might watch their different forms while they grow. It will do us good to paint them from life.” Mr. Huang Yunyu believed that what Zhang Daqian said about flower growing and painting is quite reasonable, and could become inspiration for Macau painters.

 

III. Flowers, Painting, Chanting, and Sichuan Dishes

        His poetic impulse and the desire to paint would always be triggered by the colorful flowers of the springtime full of “The Loureiro Park” and “The Fragrant Garden.” Huang Yunyu recollected that Zhang Daqian painted a number of works at “The Fragrant Garden,” and even specially wrote a couplet for Zhao Mingshan, the host of the garden, to encourage him in his career. Unfortunately, however, Zhao Mingshan died of cancer in the 1960s when he was still young, unable to produce greater paintings after him. The couplet and a few paintings Zhang Daqian left for him are not to be seen, leaving the mystery for the people in the academic field of Macau to do further research for the result.

        Living a regular life in Macau, Zhang Daqian would start from “The House of Cai” every morning accompanied by his son with ropes on two gibbons. Walking down Lane Roquete and St. Roses House before turning right to the Mai Cao Di Street towards the Large San Ba Street. He would then follow Road Hua Wang Tang and walk around St. Antonio Church to the White Dove Park for morning exercises. He had kept up with it without any interruption. Plainly dressed with a Chinese style large-sleeved loose robe buttoned down at the front and ordinary trousers with the tightened crotch, he only wore shoes without socks. As he wore long and large beard with two domesticated gibbons in hands, it is quite common that a large group of curious kids were following him for fun. He in return would enjoy chatting to and making jokes on the children. Not knowing that he was a well-known painter in the world, the passers-by would regard him as an old wandering trick-player who amused people with his monkeys. Even in Macau, Zhang Daqian had the habit to take a nap after lunch before he would be painting forcefully in high spirits. Huang Yunyu and other Macau painters learned a great deal in watching him painting. Den Feng, a noted Macau painter then also lived in “The House of Cai,” with whom the artists often met together chanting poetry and painting. There was no restaurant for Sichuan dishes in Macau, and the cook in the House could not cook Sichuan food. Sometimes, therefore, Zhang Daqian would walk to Ying Di Green Grocery for some spices and ingredients and then cook several dishes himself. Afterwards, he would enjoy the dinner with Sichuan flavor with his painter friends.

 

IV. Huang Miaozi Visiting Old Friend

        In early May 1985, when Portuguese President, General Antonio Ramalho Eanes, visited Beijing, he had talks with Deng Xiaoping, and together they unveil the prologue to further negotiation over Macau issue between China and Macau. I was fortunately dispatched to Beijing as a special report. Before leaving Macau, Huang Hanqiang, a Macau economist who was then the associate editor of the newspaper and editor-in-chief to the Macau Economic Yearbook, asked me to invite Huang Miaozi, a renowned Chinese calligrapher in Beijing, to write his autograph as the new cover of the Macau Economic Yearbook. With the address and telephone number given by Liao Bing, a cartoonist, I found Mr. Huang Miaozi without difficulty. As Huang Miaozi and Liao Bing were intimate friends, and the latter introduced me, Huang was willing to offer me his autograph as the title of the Yearbook. Talkative as he was, Huang Miaozi, knowing that I was a Macau journalist, excitedly told me about his story that he deliberately went from Hong Kong to Macau to meet Zhang Daqian 16 years earlier.

        Huang Miaozi and Yu Feng, the couple, lived in Hong Kong in the spring 1949, when they learned that Zhang Daqian, their good friend, was in Macau practicing his painting and enthusiastically went crossing the sea to Macau. Huang and Zhang got to know each other through Lu Danlin’s introduction in early 1931. Their relation is so close that even after Zhang Daqian lived in Brazil he sent Huang Miaozi his Photo Album of Ba De Garden, and until his death Zhang also had it presented to Huang one of his works of art-The Painting of Dharma signed with “Zhang Hongmao, a Buddhist believer.”

        Mr. Huang Miaozi wrote for Wen Hui Bao in Hong Kong in early 1949, left with much leisure. He took advantage and went to Macau with Yu Feng and Lu En also with the intention of touring around. As soon as they arrived at Macau, they went straight to “The House of Cai.” Zhang Daqian was so pleased to meet the old friends that he deliberately painted two small paintings for them: one given to Huang Miaozi and Yu Feng with the name of “A Beauty Viewed from Behind,” and the other one named “An Ancient Beauty in Line Drawing” given to lady Lu En. Huang Miaozi recollected that the painting “A Beauty Viewed from Behind” is a small creation with light ink. It was neat and exquisite of the painting in which the back view of a beauty sitting on a rock was painted at the right hand corner, her hands holding a half-hidden round silk fan. Unfortunately, it was lost during the turmoil years, Huang Miaozi sighed.

        In “The House of Cai,” Zhang Daqian proudly showed his artwork of beautiful peony, bamboos, plums painted and dyed on the qipao of Cai Keting’s daughters’. Seeing that the couple of Huang Miaozi and Yu Feng were delighted in wonder, Zhang Daqian held his long and large beard saying, “I learned how to weave and dye in Japan when I was young, and this is my old trade.”

        Three days later Huang Miaozi and Zhang Daqian bid farewell. Neither of them would expect that this separation at the Port of Macau was the last time they saw each other.

 

V. The Lotus and Its Implication

        Invited by He Xiangning, the widow of Liao Zhongkai who was one of the founders of the Nationalist Party, in the second month of the lunar calendar 1949, Zhang Daqian made a painting entitled The Lotus, which was brought to Beijing by He and given to Mao Zedong. This was little known in public because the painting had been kept in Mao’s residence in Zhong Nan Hai until his death. In May 23, 1983, one month after Zhang Daqian was dead, People’s Daily in Beijing reported for the first time that Zhang Daqian painted this for Mao in February 1949 and also said that it would be collected in the book entitled Gifts from Painters and Calligraphers in Mao Zedong’s Former Residence. The report caused much discussion and suspicion among people from all walks of life in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

        Mr. Huang Yunyu, who was then in Macau, told me Zhang Daqian painted a number of lotus paintings in “The House of Cai” after the Spring Festival of 1949, and, later, he had one selected and sent to Hong Kong. Huang Yunyu assumed that it was The Lotus required by He Xiangning and presented to Mao Zedong. However, it seems that since He Xiangning, Mao Zedong, and Huang Yunyu passed away one after another, there will be no one to offer any evidence for it that the painting in the Zhong Nan Hai was really created in Macau by Zhang Daqian. In one of his article in memory of Zhang Daqian, Chen Shurong, a historian in Macau, also wrote that The Lotus was said to have been the work of art that Zhang Daqian painted by the careful observation of the lotuses in “The Loureiro Park.” There were also some people who believed that the painting given to Mao Zedong was a political statement, belonging to the paintings of flowers and birds, which imply the support to Mao and the Communist Party.

        Although the arguments may continue and some points need further research, it is certain that Zhang Daqian used his painting to convey his desire.

        °ßStanding gracefully erect, they come out from the sludge; cleansed in pure water, they never appear seductively charm.” Zhou Lianxi, a Confucian scholar in the Song dynasty, wrote the famous quotations to praise the lotus. The symbol of the “style of a gentleman,” which sticks to the preservation of one’s purity and resistance against drifting in the current, the lotus is the favorite flower among Chinese who have always been praising it in poetry and paintings from the ancient time.

        Zhang Daqian was well known for his love of lotuses, and even popularly regarded as a “sage for lotuses.” A lotus lover himself who resembles it in fine quality, his principle in action and attitude toward fame and profits all reflect that he regarded himself the incarnation of the lotus. All through his life in fine arts, he had strong like for lotuses, and went out of his way to paint them repeatedly to elevate his own spirit. The way of self-statement by making objects as a medium of emotions, paintings a medium of likes and dislikes, and make objects meaningful is the habit and tradition of Chinese literary men. At the turning point of the middle of twentieth century, Zhang Daqian made a decisive choice to express his mind in Macau, thus making it an honorary place for Zhang’s paintings and integrity.

        To express his gratitude to Zhang Daqian and the advice and love given to him, Zhao Mingshan prepared over a dozen precious plant shoots and seeds for Zhang Daqian to ship back to Chengdu via Hong Kong when the latter was about to leave Macau in the middle of 1949. At the end of November that same year, Zhang Daqian did not embark on the plane to fly to the world until he had made careful arrangements for his relatives and pupils, and offered them one sentence-“God help those who help themselves.” Half a century has passed, and the plant shoots and seeds Zhao Mingshan gave to Zhang Daqian have already borne fruits with flowers all over. They are the symbols of the eternal friendship of Zhang Daqian and the cultural circle in Macau.

        The unveiling of “The Exhibition of Zhang Daqian’s Copies of Dunhuang Frescoes and Seals Used in Da Feng House” in Macau today has given the people in Macau another chance to feel the charm and recollect the colorful life of Zhang Daqian, the giant in fine arts.

        Immortality is Zhang Daqian and his art!