Art and Culture

Art | Music | Poetry | Literature | Culture | New Science | Ancient Cultivation Stories

  • Fun with Tang Dynasty Poetry: “River Snow”

    It is such an image-filled poem. In just twenty characters, Liu Zongyuan created a complete, ethereal landscape and a chilly, indescribable solitude. It was though the entire world is filled with snow and the entire universe is silent and clean. The chill is awe-inspiring. The image of an elderly man in a rain cloak sitting alone in the snow fishing suggests the author’s lofty character and his chilly solitude. It also suggests that the author is impervious to the external environment. Throughout the ages, readers have sympathised, admired and respected Liu Zongyuan for his superior character and will.
  • Painting: “In the Labour Camp”

    In this painting I wanted to convey the scene of a Falun Gong practitioner in a forced labour camp in China, because in western society many people who shop regularly may find that everything is made in China these days. Who are those people that make those products and what kind of treatment do they receive?
  • Poem: Lotus

    Petal soft, come silken light,spanning dawns to timeless moments. Worlds awakening,floods of colour unfolding,your journey for which all hearts are born.
  • Painting: Chrysanthemum Blossoms Seen at Chongyang Festival (Sept. 9 in lunar calendar)

  • Interviews with Artists Featured in the “Uncompromising Courage” Art Exhibit: Fan Hong - Part II

    Another piece of art is “Faith Unchained.” My deepest memory is about my prison days in China. While painting, I often recalled some heart-stirring stories from the days when I was in China, some details, some dialogues, the difficulties encountered... ... There were both tears and joy during painting. Painting took me back to a kind of memory world and I was painting my own heart, expressing my own sentiments.
  • Stories from Ancient China: Marriage to a Blind Bride

    After Liu grew up, he successfully passed the Civil Service Examination (Translator’s note: passing the Civil Service Examination in ancient China would enable one to become a government official, and so it was highly regarded and considered a high achievement). His fiancée, however, had contracted a severe eye disease and turned blind. Liu’s neighbour was rather poor and because their daughter had turned blind, they felt she was unworthy of marrying Liu. So they didn’t dare to bring up the subject of the earlier engagement.
  • Painting: Li Shizhen

  • Poem: China's Heart

    Of fragile heartsand tainted minds,Of countless livesbrought to a bitter end.
  • Poem: Where No Hearts Blind

    Out of sightand out of mind,Worlds to be awakenedwhere hearts still blind.
  • Stories from Ancient China: The Law of Cause and Effect

    The military official asked Wang Anshi to have everyone else removed from the scene because he had to report a private issue to him. After everyone else left, he told Wang Anshi, “Last night I had a dream where it seemed I had entered Hell and I saw your son in shackles suffering in Hell. He asked me to tell you something that might be good for you. I was worried that you might not believe in my dream when your son told me, ‘My father will believe you as long as you tell him that I am being tortured in Hell because of a matter we had discussed at a certain time on a certain day.’”
  • Poem: My Child

    Beckoned towards wondrous firmaments, Cradled by the unseen, Hearts unveiled beyond clouded skies.No walls or darkest tides, Only mountains climbing immeasurable heights. A vision mended, fathomable to boundless eyes.
  • Music: “Goddesses Distributing Flowers”

    Realplayer On-line (2:39)Realplayer Download (415kB)MP3 Download (1,406kB)
  • Mid-autumn Festival Greeting Card

  • Instrumental Music: “Streaks of Light at Dawn”

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  • Painting: Lady on a Sofa