Marvelous Travel in Old Beijing with a Folk Painter

HAVE you ever wondered what Beijing might have looked like before it was covered with skyscrapers， overpasses， gigantic concrete structures and eight-lane avenues full of congested traffic？ How life was in the old hutong when these narrow alleys were the citys predominant form of architecture， and not yet tourist attractions for hipster expatriates in search of that gritty lower-class vibe？ And what did all those beautiful city gates， temples and streets look like before they were demolished？ In his fourvolume work， combining illustrations and text， artist Fang Yan takes us back a century in time.

A folk painting specialist who grew up in Beijing and neighboring Tianjin in the 1940s， Fang distinguished himself with his illustrations for the Chinese editions of such literary masterpieces as Father Goriot and Colonel Chabert. He also produced various fascinating thematic scrolls that were exhibited and auctioned overseas： the Chinese Ancient History Scroll， the Chinese Scenic Spots Scroll， the Chinese Scholars Scroll， and many others. Interestingly enough， Fang Yan also painted Buddhist murals for temples in Japan.

But the core of the artists work since the end of the 1970s has been the depiction of what old Beijing looked like in days of yore. Quite a propitious and prescient choice， given this was to be the beginning of the countrys reform and opening-up， after which the notion of “Old Beijing”would become elusive and therefore sought after by foreign admirers of China and Chinese people alike.

The books from this English series are produced with uncommon care by the publisher： they are bound in red thread， and their pages are turned from right to left in the manner of ancient Chinese books. The illustrations are exquisite.

The first volume of this English series depicts “Life in Old Beijing.”As the author explains， these scenes are mostly inspired by his childhood memories： street performers， itinerant craftsmen， peddlers， beggars and food stalls were what he used to see and interact with every day. Each page is thus dedicated to some particular sight which has now， sadly， all but disappeared from the life of the city （with the possible exception of Nanluoguxiang， a well-preserved ancient hutong community located in central Beijing， approximately 800-m long）： vendors of big liquor vats from Shanxi Province， providing common laborers with relaxing places to drink； stands selling figurines of “Sir Rabbit” with its big jiggling ears before Mid-Autumn Festival； gourd beaters who fastened gourds to their carrying poles which they beat with a stick to announce their arrival， roaming the streets and providing household articles such as brushes， feather dusters， kitchen ware and many other sundries； hilarious impromptu shows featuring monkeys in a costume， moustaches and hats， entertaining the good people of the hutong； or better still， “peep shows” allowing curious viewers to peer eagerly at exotic Western images through peep holes.

It should be noted here that for all we know， the elements， characters and customs referred to in this series may have existed only in the“Old Beijing” of the Republican era – such as street photographers with their “fast cameras” – or remain venerable traditions established in a distant dynasty and still alive nowadays – such as that of“going for a walk in a quiet place with caged birds” – as remarkably few historical indicators are provided.

The second volume is entitled“Ancient Architecture in Beijing.”Its pages aptly describe old buildings which， for the most part， are nowhere in sight anymore： 23 city gates， nine turrets， various streets and decorated archways， but also a miscellany of palace gates， palace gardens， palace halls， more turrets and archways， and famous personalities former residences. Finally， the book also describes different temples， pagodas and churches， some of which actually still exist. As the author states in his foreword， he “demonstrated an immense interest in the city towers， city gates， city walls， decorated archways， temples and towers” of old Beijing ever since he was a child； the reader feels compelled to believe him.

The third volume presents scenes from “Old Tianqiao.” Named after the bridge that the emperors famously traveled across on their way to the Temple of Heaven， the Tianqiao （Bridge to Heaven） area used to be the cultural center of common Beijingers， where they could enjoy the work of folk artists， cooks， and craftsmen from all walks of life. We also read about fascinating performances – such as “breaking bricks on the ear，” “getting run over by a carriage” or “stabbing ones throat with a silver spearhead” – which are nowadays confined to variety shows mostly organized for the sake of foreign tourists. Notably， and perhaps due to the colorful nature of the folk performers this book focuses on –such as Fly-in-Cloud （nickname of a comic）， Jiao Dehai， Golden Tooth（nickname of a peep show player）， Pockmarked Cao， who had remarkable vocal performance skills and an interesting personality – its pictures are painted in watercolors， a welcome departure from the blackand-white style characterizing the two previous volumes.

And finally， the fourth volume discusses various “Local Customs and Practices in Old Beijing.” We there learn about important traditions， festivals and holidays； everyday life customs， such as “jumping rope，” “playing marbles，” “cricket fights”； ancient architectures such as quadrangle houses， screen walls， and winding corridors， as well as modes of transport， and food and drinks – the latter being， thankfully， still largely available in Beijing！ The book ends with a minute and staggeringly detailed description of the Grand Canal.

Through his delightful drawings and paintings of old Beijing， especially from imperial times to the Republican era， Fang Yan provides readers with a wonderful and accessible window on the past. It will no doubt kindle much nostalgia in the hearts of modern-day residents， Chinese and foreign alike.