Mr. Liu Zhengcheng and the Calligraphic Culture in Contemporary China

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Mr. Liu Zhengcheng and the Calligraphic Culture in Contemporary China
     Li Tinhua
     The fundamental changes have taken place in Chinese society within the twenty years after the Chinese Economic Reform and the policy of opening China to the world since the 1980s. On the one hand, consummate achievements have been made during the economic construction of China, and comparable accomplishments in cultural construction ensued on the other. Through various international cultural exchanges held in China and by the means of the sophisticated technology of the Chinese media and information, people outside China have much better access to Chinese culture and better understanding of Chinese arts than ever in the history of China. Through the cultural exchanges, Chinese culture and arts are becoming more popular around the world and, are even penetrating into other cultures. Among the traditional arts of China, calligraphy is more representative of the Chinese tradition than other forms of art, and it plays a special role in the cultural exchanges with other countries as well. Mr. Liu Zhengcheng, the senior editor of the magazine The Chinese Calligraphy, with his outstanding contributions to Chinese calligraphy in his calligraphic career of so many years, enjoys high esteem in the calligraphic societies of the world.
     An Inquiry to Human Soul – An Approach to Calligraphic Art as a Heritage of Chinese Tradition
       Liu Zhengcheng, at his age of 56 now, was only 20 years old when the “Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution” took place in 1966. He was a worker in a spinning mill of Sichuan Province during then, who had no chance to go to college as a result of the poverty of his family. He struggled to his success in calligraphic art and the promotion of Chinese traditional cultural through a long and hard journey of his self-education. He used to write scripts for political plays during the “Cultural Revolution,” but what made him different from many other young writers of the time was his emphasis on intellectualism in dramaturgy other than sheer on political orientations which was dominant during that time. Mr. Liu showed special interests in historical themes in his realistic writings. Among his earliest readings, Yao Nai’ s Guwen Cilei Zuan (lexicography of classical Chinese) was one of his favorites. After the down of the “Gang of Four,” Liu Zhengcheng became one of the important contemporary artists of China and his artistic talents were revealed and released from the political repressions.
       In Mr. Liu’s publications, Diyu Bianxiangtu(metamorphosis in the Hell) published twice respectively by Sichuan Wenyi Chubanshe and Qingdao Chubanshe and Liu Zhengcheng Lishi Xiaoshuoji (the collection of Liu Zhengcheng’ s historical novellas) demonstrate his broad knowledge of Chinese history and traditional culture during his young age, which cover the biographies of Huai Su, the ancient calligrapher, Wu Daozi, the painter, Wan Baochang, the musician, Kong Shangren, the dramatist, and Wang Anshi, the famous ancient literatus, even Zhuang Zhou, the founder of Daoism.
       Generally speaking, the literature of the “New Era” shows its naivety and ignorance toward Chinese history and traditional culture even though it advocated the cultural criticism against Chinese traditions. However, Liu Zhengcheng was an exception among his contemporaries. With his solid knowledge and profound understanding of Chinese culture that had become the strong basis for his upcoming accomplishments in his literary      creations, Liu Zhengcheng had continually perfected his calligraphy and enriched his artistic talents. After the literary movements of the “New Era,” the cultural trends in China turned into the historical approaches to literature, and at the same time, the rise of Chinese calligraphy ensued. The new trend of calligraphy had attracted so many people and had been continuing for a long time, which fundamentally shaped the cultural landscape of the “New Era” in China. It was another cultural resurrection of China after the movement of the “New Era,” and Liu Zhengcheng played an important role in the resurrection. It is very instructive to study the phenomenon of Liu Zhengcheng, whose own career highlighted the current shift from literature to calligraphy in China. Mr. Lu Shi, the former executive of the Chinese Calligraphic Society, ever mentioned: “it was for the consideration of Liu Zhengcheng’ s talents in literature and compilation that we selected him to take charge of the magazine The Chinese Calligraphy.” In fact, Chinese calligraphy is the essence of literary imaginations. Mr. Liu advocated this calligraphic spirit in his long-lasting literary practices. Thereafter, he continued his dialogues with his international calligraphic fellows on the basis of his deep literary and academic understandings.   
     A Monumental Achievement of the Centuries in Chinese Calligraphy
     During his chairing the Society of Chinese Calligraphers, Mr. Liu Zhengcheng continued the publications of the magazine The Chinese Calligraphy. Soon afterward, he worked closely with his fellow calligraphers all over China in the compilation of the two-volume The Cyclopedia of Chinese Calligraphy, which was actually a preparation for a much more ambitious project of publishing a one-hundred-and-eight volume complete cyclopedia of Chinese calligraphy. This far-reaching project covers the masterpieces of Chinese calligraphy from the works of ancient dynasties of Shang and Zhou, to the contemporary masterworks by Yu Yuoren, Xie Wuliang and Gao Ershi. The Complete Cyclopedia of Chinese Calligraphy is the third largest project in the calligraphic history of China after Chun Hua Ge of Song Dynasty and San Xi Tang of Qing Dynasty. Very different from the famous imperial publications of works about calligraphy and inscriptions in the past, The Complete Cyclopedia of Chinese Calligraphy is not under the auspices of state but by the grass-roots supports. It includes much wider range of artistic works than ever in calligraphic publications. But what makes it especially important is that The Complete Cyclopedia of Chinese Calligraphy has high academic values. Every volume of the Complete Cyclopedia was compiled or introduced by the esteemed calligraphers who have widely recognized achievements in Chinese calligraphy.  They provide readers with intensive reviews and insightful interpretations on every calligraphic works that make the cyclopedia not only enjoyable but also instructive in Chinese calligraphic art. Furthermore, the Complete Cyclopedia explores critical approaches to some polemic issues in the calligraphic history of China, such as the authenticity of Liu Gongquan’ s Meng Zhao Tie, about which a couple of articles written by Xu Bangda and Cao Yulin are included. More importantly, Mr. Liu Zhengcheng has ended up the “Lanting Polemic” in the history of Chinese calligraphy with his insightful conclusion.
       During the end of 1995, there were five most prestigious scholars of Chinese calligraphy meeting at Rong Bao Zhai store in Liu Li Chang of Beijing. They were Gu Tinlong, Ji Xianlin, Feng Qiyong, Li Xueqin and Jin Weinuo, who gave enthusiastic compliments to the Complete Cyclopedia. They highly praised the academic value of the cyclopedia. Comparing it with the ancient Chun Hua Ge Tie and San Xi Tang Fa Tie, Mr. Gu Tinlong believed that the Complete Cyclopedia was a magnificent project in the history of Chinese calligraphy transcending all those before it. Mr.Ji Xianlin, who had ever lucidly forecasted the future development of the World Culture, considered the Complete Cyclopedia a landmark in exhibiting the traditional culture of China to the world. At the same time, Mr. Li Xueqin, a historian, found it a perfect combination between Chinese history and aesthetics and insisted that the Complete Cyclopedia outshined Shu Dao Quanji of Japan in academic precisions since there were quite a lot of mistakes in Shu Dao Quanji. Mr. Jin Weinuo, a comparative aesthetician, said that the art history of the world was as a matter of fact the history of the West, and the Western artists might be going to find a new world of art in this book.
       During his compiling The Complete Cyclopedia of Chinese Calligraphy, Mr. Liu Zhengcheng simultaneously edited and compiled Zhang Xu Huai Su Sun Guotin Juan, Su Shi Juan, Wang Ze Juan, Huang Daozhou Juan and Xu We Juan. One of the outstanding features in Liu Zhengcheng’ writings is his vivid pictorial wordings with strong passions in a way like what Liang Ren Gong did in the past. That makes him different from those who write in a pedantic way in keeping a distance from the general public, and in a flourish form but without substantive contents. This is part of the reason why the Chinese elite intellectuals are distanced from the populace. Many historians and novelists such as Wu Han, Zhu Dongreng and Xie Guoqin have successfully contributed to vernacularization and readability in academic works. Mr. Feng Qiyong took Su Shi Juan as an exemplar combination between scholarship and literature when he commented on the publication of the Complete Cyclopedia. Mr. Feng continued in his review of the book: “It is a book so instructive to calligraphic learners who would reach a rather high level in calligraphy after reading the one-hundred volumes of the cyclopedia.
     Mr. Liu Zhengcheng as a Campaigner in International Exchange of Calligraphic Art
  
     In his dedication to Chinese calligraphy for almost twenty years, Liu Zhengcheng has conducted various exchanges in calligraphic art with many countries of the world through organizing exhibitions, paying visits and attending international conferences. He introduced Chinese calligraphy to the world and contributed a lot to the Open-Door Policy of China. Mr. Liu organized “The Chinese Calligraphy in the Twentieth Century” in Paris, to which the president of France paid a visit and showed a great interest in Chinese calligraphy as a part of Chinese traditional culture.
       Liu Zhengcheng would not miss any chance in promoting Chinese calligraphic culture with his great passions and ever visited many famous calligraphers around the world. Especially, he is in close contact with many famous Japanese calligraphers and received many visits from his Japanese guests in his residence Song Zhu Cao Tang, where he either gave shows of his calligraphic drawings or had tea and chess with the guests. The Sino-Japanese cultural exchange was greatly enhanced by those meetings between the artists of the two countries. In the preface of  “The Collections of Calligraphic Works in the Third Exhibition of Sino-Japanese Calligraphy of Friendship,” Liu Zhengcheng titled his essay with “Our Tie of Friendship Roots in Our Traditional Culture” that revealed the significance in the calligraphy exchanges between the Chinese and Japanese calligraphers.
       Calligraphic art has become very popular around the world and it is the best instrument in representing the national and cultural psyche of the Chinese. After having lived in abroad for many years, many overseas Chinese take Chinese calligraphy as the agency of channeling their nostalgic sentiments toward home as well as an effective means of promoting Chinese culture to the countries where they are living. Liu Zhengcheng has developed strong friendly ties with Mr. Xiong Bingming, the chairman of French Society of Calligraphy, Mr. Liang Piyun, the famous calligrapher of Macao, and Mr. Rao Zongyi, the famous scholar and calligrapher of Hong Kong. Not only did Mr. Liu Zhengcheng promoted his academic achievements through the magazine The Chinese Calligraphy, but also he sponsored the birthday parties for Mr. Rao Zongyi and Xiong Bingming in the name of the magazine. These birthday parties for the overseas Chinese sponsored by the magazine of calligraphic art had strongly symbolized the campaigning for elevating Chinese cultures and introducing China to the world.  
     Liu Zhengcheng has achieved incredibly in calligraphic art at the age of China’s reforms and opening to world. He always dedicates himself to those who love Chinese calligraphy, young and old, anyone and anywhere.
     Rm 201, Bldg 3, Dongjiao Jianggong Rd, 60, Xian, Shangxi Province, P.R. China 710043.
Tel: 029-2236227  
The Biographical Information about Mr. Liu Zhengcheng
-1946, Mr. Liu Zhengcheng was born.
-1980, he attended  “The First National Exhibition of Chinese Calligraphic Art” of the Society of Chinese Calligraphers and his works were exhibited.
-1982, his works were exhibited in “The First Exhibition of Young Calligraphers.”
-1984, worked for the literary magazine Ren Shi Jian as the deputy executive editor. His works were exhibited in “The Second National Exhibition of Chinese Calligraphic Art.”
-1985, he worked for the Society of Chinese Calligraphers as the director of the department of publications, the deputy executive editor of magazine The Chinese Calligraphy
-1986, he organized “The Second Exhibition of the Young Calligraphers” sponsored by the Department of Culture of the P.R. China and the Society of Chinese Calligraphers.
-1987, his works were exhibited in “Third National Exhibition” and worked as a member of the panel for the exhibition.
-1989, his works were exhibited in “Fourth National Exhibition” and he published The Cyclopedia of Chinese Calligraphy.”
-1991, he was elected as the board of the Society of Chinese Calligraphers and acted as deputy general secretary.
-1992, he published The Complete Cyclopedia of Chinese Calligraphy, The Collections of Liu Zhengcheng’ s works and Diyu Bianxiang Tu.
-1993, his works were exhibited in “The Second International Exchange of Calligraphic Art” and he worked as deputy director of the panel.
-1994, worked as director and executive editor of Zhongguo Shufa Zazhi.
-1995, he visited Japan and his works were exhibited in “The Sixth National Exhibition.”
-1997, he acted as the head of the panel at “The Seventy Exhibition of the Young Calligraphers” and visited Korea and Australia.
-1998, he acted as the general secretary of “The Calligraphic Exhibition of the 20th Century” to which the President Jiang Zemin visited. Mr. Liu also visited Japan and France at the same year.
-1999, “The Exhibition of Liu Zhengcheng’s Calligraphic Works” was held in Hong Kong University.
-2000, he had the honor to meet the President Jiang Zeming and other leaders of the state.
-  2001, he attended the “International Conference of Inscription and Calligraphy” at the invitation of the Hong Kong University and received a “Special Award for the Dedication to Calligraphic Art” issued by the Society of Chinese Calligraphers.