Editor’s Note :
Chinese culture lives not only in grand narratives, but also in carved words, calligraphy, painting, and music—where its spirit and beauty quietly endure.
Cultural Express launches its new Culture column to rediscover the warmth and elegance of Chinese culture in everyday life.
In this issue, 92-year-old Professor Teresa Sun reflects on twelve woodcarved classical inscriptions by her late husband,
Terry Sun, revealing the warmth and beauty of Chinese culture.
The two lines carved words are quoted from one of Sushi’s most well-known poems. It was elegantly written and is widely adored by Chinese. A translation is offered as follows.
The right moon, when will she appear ? Wine cup in hand, I ask the blue sky. I don’t know inside the gates of heaven what time of year it would be tonight.
I was just about to ride there on the wind, but feared that heaven’s crystalline palaces and towers were so high, it would be too cold for me.
Instead, I dance and cavort here with my shadow and know what it is to be among men.
Circling the red-trimmed chamber, Peering down through doors of silk, She shines on the sleepless. No cause for her to be spiteful— Then, why, when we part, does she shine so round and full?
As man has both sorrow and joy, being apart and being together, So too the moon has her waxing and her waning increase and diminution : This has always been less than perfect.
So, let us both live to a ripe old age, And be together, thought a thousand miles apart,To share her beauty. (TR. Eugene Eoyang, Sunflower, P 350)
Su Shi • Moonlit Truth
Master Su Shi was one of the giants in Chinese literary history, as was mentioned in my last article. He held a high position in court, yet suffered banishment later in life.
He was the most devoted court official concerned with the well-being of the people, and he fought passionately for his ideas and policies.
However, he remained exiled for years, working at menial jobs. He was able to transform his misfortune into a cheerful outlook on life.
He set aside his frustrations and chose to focus on the positive aspects of existence.
He deserves admiration for his courage and self-adjustment.
The value he cherished, the talent and imagination he demonstrated in his poems, and the version and wisdom in life depicted for us a great mind and loving person.
His carefree and romantic personality is the most admired and emulated.
He was a diligent and self-disciplined Confucian scholar, yet elegant, dashing, and refined, holding a cup of wine under the moonlight, discussing the immortals and the ephemeral nature of life versus the eternal aspects of the universe.
He was used to the luxury of high social style, but could reconcile in villages of meager living, watching the farmers and fishermen doing their daily chores.
Wine Songs • Lyric Art
As prose and lyrics were emerging as a new tonal singing style, Su Shi took advantage of this innovative singing technique to showcase his talent.
The new tones were ballads designed to entertain guests with love stories in the popular wine houses. Remarkably, he played a key role in expanding and enriching the content, helping to structure the format into a refined literary genre after the Tang dynasty regulated poetry.
His works covered a wide range of his views, from love life to the ruling of an empire, from judgment on figures in history to the power of the universe.
He loved to write about flowers, trees, mist, wine, moonlight, and beautiful women. “…..The water and the blossoms enhancing each other’s beauty, I sit there and watch the shriveled lotuses in the pond.
Alone it keeps company with withered chrysanthemums in the frost---…….”(TR Irving Lo, P.345) Many scenery parks and historical monuments named after him or decorated with his poem.
Of all the poetry, his are quoted the most, appreciated and beloved by the populace all over China.
Moon Myth • East West
A Chinese legend tells the story of a beautiful woman named Chang-e, who took her husband's medicine and became immortal. She flew to the moon and has lived there forever.
Her husband, Hou Yi, was rewarded by the emperor with this medicine after he shot down nine suns from the sky, which had created unbearable heat for the people.
In the context of their simple, down-to-earth agricultural society by the Yellow River, the Chinese people designed Chang-e's story to feature a solitary life, with little opportunity for romantic tales.
However, if she had lived in the Greek Islands, her life among the gods would have been quite different.
Apollo Lands • Myth Remains
When the Apollo spacecraft landed on the moon in 1969, the headline of a Chinese newspaper read, "Did Chang-e come to welcome the astronauts?"
Click to Read More :
Article 1 of 12—May Flowers Bloom, the Moon Stay Full, and Life Be Long
Article 2 of 12—Heaven Moves, Man Strives
Article 3 of 12—The Confucian Way
Article 4 of 12—Nature’s Dao, Spirit’s Rest
Article 5 of 12—Matter of the world and my spirit will last forever
About the Author :
Teresa Sun
Teresa Sun received her bachelor’s degree in Chinese literature from Taiwan Normal University, an M.A. in education from UCLA, and a doctorate from Seton Hall University.
She taught Chinese language and culture at California State universities and Whittier College for nearly 25 years, and was active in Chinese language education, cultural promotion, and community service. She has published papers and four books.
Terry Sun
Terry Sun graduated from National Taiwan University in mechanical engineering and continued his studies at USC. An outstanding HVAC engineer, he was named a Fellow of ASHRAE.
After retirement, he developed a unique artistic style combining wood carving and Chinese calligraphy, and his works were exhibited in museums and institutions.