Edited by renowned scholar and calligrapher Professor Wei Dazhi and Shenzhen collector Mr. Chen Jian, Wu Wei and the Great Dictionary of Chinese Jian shu calligraphy will soon be completed. This is a thing worth celebrating in China's contemporary academic circles and calligraphy circles. The two editors-in-chief and Mr. Wu Wei asked me to write the preface. I was very embarrassed, so I did not shy away from the suspicion of getting an axe in the banmen, and Wrote this article "Primroses entering the era of a strong country - reading Wu Wei's "Chinese Jian Shu Calligraphy Dictionary"" and a preface to quan.
I knew Mr. Wu Wei by accident. On March 4, 2018, Professor Wei Dazhi, who has a family background, invited me to have a discussion on "The Concept of Calligraphy and Painting for Chinese Scholars" at Mr. Wu Wei's Shenzhen apartment. Only to see Mr. Wu's eyes shining brightly, interacting with two children while discussing, a scene of teasing Sun, making the whole symposium come alive. While I was envious, I took several photos with my mobile phone. While I was patting myself, I thought that Mr. Wu was really a high-ranking person who was hidden in the city. Later, after reading the heavy "Chinese Jian Shu Calligraphy Dictionary" that he gave me, I was even more determined by this idea.
The second time I met Mr. Wu Wei was because of a painting by Professor Yan Wenxi, a master of oil painting, "Jiangnan Spring Morning". In November 2017, "Art for the People: Yan Wenxi Oil Painting Exhibition" was successfully held at Guan Shanyue Art Museum and Shenzhen University Art Museum. Because I exhibited a little power for this painting, one day Professor Yan Wenxi, his wife and daughter sent his masterpiece "Jiangnan Spring Morning" to me downstairs. Caught off guard, I had to accept it for the time being. I thought day and night, where is this famous painting? One day, A sudden flash of inspiration came to mind: temporarily stored in Mr. Wu Wei's Jian Shu Calligraphy Exhibition Hall. If it can be sold, it will supplement Professor Yan's later life. Therefore, I think about it because Mr. Fumiki would rather live on a pension to live in poverty than sell paintings. He believes that works such as "Yan'an Literary and Art Symposium" belong to China and cannot be bought by foreign companies. But this "Gangnam Spring Morning" is a pure work of art, since it was given to me, I managed to sell it for him, and then returned the painting to him. Therefore, with the consent of Mr. Wu Wei, I asked Mr. Chen Jian to send the painting to Mr. Wu Wei's apartment.
In such exchanges, Mr. Wu Wei and I became acquainted with each other and reaffirmed that, like Professor Yan Wenxi, he was a truly enlightened person, a true artist and scholar.
The reason why Chinese civilization can lead the world for five thousand years is because it has the unique five books (five fundamental conditions): the unique unit region, the timely emergence of advanced mainstream ideas, the spirit of not being afraid of sacrifice and phoenix nirvana, creating and adhering to the use of Chinese characters, and having a long-tested And advancing Chinese medicine. These five conditions are indispensable. Among them, Chinese characters are the most important carriers and forms of expression of Chinese civilization. And "The Simple Book is an important carrier of Chinese paperless era writing." (Luo Yunhuan's "Chinese Jian Shu Calligraphy Dictionary Preface I") In this way, the record of Jian Shu script is thousands of years earlier than that of paper books. This is of great significance to the study of the history of Chinese civilization, and we can rightly say that Chinese civilization has not been interrupted for five thousand years.
However, it is difficult to study the simplified script. The confirmation of each word is more difficult than the study of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and ancient Babylonian cuneiform clay tablets. Because each Chinese character has three major functions: glyph, character meaning, and character pronunciation.
Jian Shu was produced very early, and the discovery of Jian Shu calligraphy works was also very early. However, it was not until the 1970s that the craze for Jian Shu calligraphy appeared in China. Liu Wenjie, a famous scholar, said: "The archaeological excavation of the Western Han Tomb in Mawangdui, Hunan Province, in 1972 pushed a glyph and writing method that no one had ever seen before. This kind of writing on bamboo and bun is called 'Jian Shu Shu'. It carries the history of the development and change of the Chinese character seal book to the Lishu for hundreds of years. Its appearance immediately attracted the attention and research of many philologists and calligraphy enthusiasts in the society, and Mr. Wu Wei was one of them. He spent more than thirty years to continuously explore and study the Jian Shu Shu, conscientiously study, and diligently practice, and we finally saw his two major contributions to the Jian Shu Shu: First, he wrote the most aesthetic value of the Jian Shu calligraphy in ancient times and the present, and became a model for taking the right path of Chinese calligraphy; second, he edited the "Chinese Jian Shu Calligraphy Dictionary" with the most research value, aesthetic value, practical value, historical value, and collection value. He further pointed out: "The Chinese Jian Shu Calligraphy Dictionary has a collection of 8,200 words of practical words, which is 4,943 words more than the previously published dictionary of the Jian Shu Shu, which is the unique result of Mr. Wu Wei's painstaking efforts for more than thirty years, the study of oracle bones, golden texts, large seals and already seen Jian Shu characters, adding gaps in the Jian Shu Book, and providing a cornerstone, bridge and channel for the further in-depth study of the Jian Shu book by contemporary and future generations. Therefore, this dictionary is of great value for textual research. (Chinese Jian Shu Calligraphy Dictionary Preface II).
Professor Li Guozheng commented on the value of the "Chinese Jianbu Calligraphy Dictionary", saying: "The Chinese Jianbao Calligraphy Dictionary integrates the practical information, aesthetic information and cultural information of Chinese characters with an unprecedented broad mind, creating a new world of calligraphy dictionary compilation. He further affirmed Wu Wei's contribution to the art of calligraphy and the inheritance of Chinese character culture, pointing out: "The Great Dictionary of Chinese Jianbu Calligraphy preserves the original and true appearance of Chinese character glyphs from oracle bones to Han li and the creative achievements of compilation, preserves the structural posture of the same Chinese character in different historical periods and the aesthetic information contained in it, and preserves the cultural information of the Chinese nation that has been integrated into the glyphs since ancient times, which is the calligraphy art of the Chinese nation And the inheritance and development of Chinese character culture has made outstanding contributions. (Chinese Jian Shu Calligraphy Dictionary, Preface III)
The above is the professional evaluation made by three famous scholars on Wu Wei and his "Chinese Jian shu calligraphy dictionary", which is very accurate, in place and profound. I fully agree with it and deeply admire it.
I am a layman, I want to make a little out-of-line evaluation, please criticize and correct.
All life in the world pursues immortality. From flowers, trees, fishes and insects to birds and animals, there is no exception. Human beings are advanced beings, knowing that it is impossible to pursue immortality in life, so they pursue spiritual immortality and career immortality. Spirit is the soul of the cause. This is the most important revelation of Gilgamesh, the oldest heroic epic of mankind. The Ancient Chinese pursued the "Three Immortals": there was merit in Taishang, followed by meritorious service, followed by speech. This "three immortals" theory is similar to gilgamesh.
From left to right: Mr. Cheng Xiao, writer and poet, Mr. Wu Wei, author of this book, Professor Yu Longyu, Professor Wei Dazhi, Mr. Zheng Zhuzi, reporter of the Central People's Radio in Shenzhen, and Mr. Chen Jian, collector.
Mr. Wu Wei has spent more than 30 years compiling four huge volumes of the "Chinese Jian shu calligraphy dictionary", which is an immortal cultural project. From the perspective of history and development, this book has four major meanings:
First, it has inherited, developed and enriched China's dictionary culture
Honoring the character for paper is a Chinese tradition, so there is a story of Cangjie making words "Heavenly Rain Millet, Ghost Crying". Writing books and sayings has always been respected. And the dictionary (dictionary) is the constitution of the book, the teacher of the book, and the status is almost sacred. Historically, all those who have compiled dictionaries have been famous throughout the ages. This is the case with Xu Shen, the author of the Shuowen Jiezi, and the same is true of Zhang Yushu, who was instructed to edit the Kangxi Dictionary.
Chinese characters can become one of the "five fundamental reasons" (five fundamental reasons) for the founding of the Chinese nation because they have innate "four beauty": image beauty and abstract beauty, dynamic beauty and static beauty, and formal beauty and artistic beauty. This is "the most important factor in the art of calligraphy" in Chinese characters. (Qin Xiaohua, "Chinese Characters and the Art of Calligraphy"). In addition to these three beauties, there is also a beauty, that is, the time and space beauty of Chinese characters. Seeing The stone carving of Mount Tai "Five Mountains Alone" makes people breathtaking. Seeing oracle bones, stone drum texts, various ancient Janes, ancient tablets, and ancient posters will produce an attraction to see the end. This is the beauty of time and space in which Chinese characters have but their characters do not.
Chinese characters, Chinese character calligraphy, and calligraphy art are essentially one and two, two and one things. Because all Chinese characters in ancient times were handwritten (including carving, carving, tracing, painting, etc.), they were all craftsmanship, and they all contained the beauty of handicraft. Calligraphers throughout the ages have carried forward the aesthetic meaning of Chinese characters and created calligraphy as a noble profession. This is also unique in the world. As Mr. Shen Yinmo said: "Chinese calligraphy is recognized by the world as the highest art, because it can show amazing miracles, colorless and brilliant pictures, silent and musical harmony, which is admirable and pleasant." (Treatise on Calligraphy)
There are often writers, but not often those who compile dictionaries; calligraphers often have calligraphers, and calligraphers who compile dictionaries are not often there. Mr. Wu Wei combines dictionary compilation and calligraphy creation, and is a presenter of the functions of Xu Shen and Zhang Yushu in contemporary China, as well as calligraphy such as Li Si, Wang Xizhi, Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan, and Mi Fu. He is not Xu, Zhang and Li, Wang, Yan, Liu, and Mi, but he is better than Xu and Zhang and Li, Wang, Yan, Liu, and Mi. Is it highly rated? After reading the four huge volumes of the "Chinese Jian Shu Calligraphy Dictionary", I will feel that my words are reasonable.
Blind. The most distant distance in the world is no distance. People always can't see the good looks of the people around them, and the people who are closest to them. I came from a background in studying Indian language and culture, and I have a large distance from Chinese characters and Chinese calligraphy. It is this so-called "interlaced like a mountain" distance that allows me to see the beauty and magnificence of Chinese characters, Chinese character calligraphy and Wu Wei's "Chinese Jian shu calligraphy dictionary". This great beauty and magnificence is first embodied in the inheritance, development and enrichment of China's dictionary culture.
Second, it provides a reliable written basis for the history of Chinese civilization
The carriers of human civilization are diverse, and writing is the most important. Therefore, whenever ancient texts or documents are newly unearthed in a certain place, they must arouse the attention of the archaeological community, the entire academic community and even the whole society. In 1972, the discovery of the Mawangdui Western Han Ancient Tomb in Changsha was accidental, but the attention it received in its excavation, collation and protection was inevitable even in that special era. Because Chinese cherishes cultural relics and monuments in the genes. The cultural relics such as jianbao excavated from Mawangdui provide a large number of practical and reliable bases for the study of the history of Chinese civilization. At the same time, it also provides important evidence for the study of the history of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.
Qu Yuan's "Heavenly Question" said: "What is the only profit, and Gu Suo is in the belly?" This tells us that the moon rabbit in the Indian Vedic mythology has come to China at least in the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period. It is precisely because of a non-clothing (fly) unearthed in the tomb of Mawangdui Han in 1972 that this matter is confirmed. In the corner of the non-clothing is painted a crescent moon, below which is a toad, and above is a running rabbit. This is the evidence of the moon rabbit later, foreign.
China has always been the world's most populous country. This is related to being good at introducing food crops. Millet, a native crop in China, was a staple grain in ancient times, and was the length of a hundred grains. Sheji (earth god Ceres) became the object of worship of the ancients. However, the excellent quality of the millet and the low yield cannot meet the needs of the large number of people. So wheat was introduced from the west (Central Asia). Wheat production is much higher than that of millet, so the population of the north is larger. Wheat (麥), meaning to come to the ear (夕). Some people also interpret Xi as foot, And Xu Xuan said: "Xi Foot, Zhou Fu Rui Mai came to the temple, such as the line." Either interpretation supports that wheat is an imported crop. Mr. Wu Wei said: Maizi appeared very early in China, and it has been found in oracle bones, gold texts, and jianbao. In the third volume of the "Chinese Jian shu calligraphy dictionary", there are "Sleeping Tiger Di Qin Jian", "Juyan Han Jian", "Dunhuang Jian", "Mawangdui Jian Shuai" of the Wheat character rubbings.
Therefore, the study of Chinese characters can provide a reliable and accurate written basis for the study of the history of Chinese civilization and the history of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.
Third, to provide rich information for the preparation of new dictionaries and books
In addition to the tradition of compiling new dictionaries and new character books, China also has the tradition of compiling books. In addition to the "Commentary on the Interpretation of Characters" and the "Kangxi Dictionary", there are also "Art and Literature Cluster", "Taiping Imperial Collection", "Yuangui of the Book of The Book", "Yongle Canon", "Ancient and Modern Book Integration" and so on. In modern times, the "Chinese Dictionary", "Chinese Dictionary" and so on have been published, and the "Four Libraries Complete Book" of the new era, the "Zhonghua Dadian", is also in the process of editing and publishing. The editing and publication of such dictionaries and books is undoubtedly an important embodiment of the flourishing development of cultural undertakings in the new era. The advent of Wu Wei's "Chinese Jian Shu Fa Da Zidian" not only participated in it, but also directly provided rich information for the preparation of a new round of Chinese dictionaries and books.
Fourth, a cultural project that will impress the world
Since the founding of New China in 1949, the Chinese nation has always been on the road of building a country, a rich country and a strong country. In addition to economic development, a strong country must also build a good superstructure on the basis of economy. A country's strength, GDP alone is not enough, but also a strong national defense. At the time of the Opium War in 1840, China's GDP was the largest in the world. When the Sino-Japanese War occurred in 1894, the Chinese Navy and Army were already quite large. However, due to political corruption and ideological confusion, the result was a complete failure, and the humiliating "Maguan Treaty" had to be signed. The modern history of China and the world tells us that a truly powerful world-class power must carry out first-class cultural construction and must have first-class literary, philosophical, historical, political, artistic, economic, and legal works come out. Otherwise, it is not convincing. At the same time, there must be world-class museums, libraries, literature museums, art museums, science museums, and folklore museums. Otherwise, it will not be convincing.
Moreover, what is displayed in our museums, libraries, literature museums, art museums, science museums, and folklore halls should be the most representative exhibits of all mankind. The mainstream exhibits must be our own creations and inventions, not a large number of exhibits like in the West that are stolen and stolen.
Mr. Wu Wei's four-huge volume "Chinese Jian Shuai Calligraphy Dictionary" and published by the famous Tsinghua University Press not only avoids the recurrence of the historical tragedy of "Dunhuang in China, Dunhuang Studies in Foreign Countries", but also tells the world in the spirit of "thirty years of writing a book": Jian Shu is in China, and the study of Jian Shu calligraphy is also in China! These four huge volumes of the "Great Dictionary of Chinese Jian shu calligraphy" are like a primrose, telling the people of the world that after seventy years of struggle and construction, the Chinese people have not only achieved great success on the road of building a country and a rich country, but also achieved substantial victories on the road to a strong country. Mr. Wu Wei's "Chinese Jian Shu Calligraphy Dictionary" and its manuscripts should become the treasures of the museum, and Wu Wei's story and Wu Wei's spirit should be sung and carried forward. We should tell the story of Wu Wei to the people of the world, and in the name of the country, we should donate the four huge volumes of the "Chinese Jian shu calligraphy dictionary" to UNESCO, and to the university libraries and parliamentary libraries of Japan, South Korea, Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Singapore, India and other countries with a deep foundation in sinology. This is a cultural exchange between China and foreign countries with concentrated highlights and far-reaching significance. No matter how good the gong is, it does not ring or ring. We should tell the stories that have been written to people, and let the people of the world see the miracles that have been created. (Yu Longyu)
【About the Author】Professor Yu Longyu, a protégé of Ji Xianlin, a titan in the academic field, has taught at Peking University and Shenzhen University. He studied both Chinese and Western, and was an authority on the study of Indology. He was awarded the second "Outstanding Hindu Scientist" award by the President of India.