Xu Jingbo
[Editor's Note] Yukisu was a famous Japanese painter of the Muromachi period, born in 1420 in Akahama, Bei, China (present-day Okarayama Prefecture, Soseye City). Originally a monk of Xiangguo Temple in Japan, he was fascinated by Chinese ink painting, and in 1467 he came to China with a ship of dispatch, traveled all over the famous mountains and rivers, searched for famous teachers, and studied painting. After returning to China, he opened drawing buildings in Oita and Yamaguchi successively, studied ink painting techniques, and achieved the reputation of a generation of "painting saints". It is said that among the first-class painters of ancient Japan, only one person has actually visited China. It can be said that without Chinese culture, there would be no snow boats; I have never been to China, and there are no snow boats.
On this year's 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, the private geography column of The Paper invites Professor Xu Jingbo of the Center for Japanese Studies of Fudan University to lead readers to travel to Dongying together to understand the historical and cultural origins of China and Japan through the perspective of cultural scholars.
In the summer and autumn of 2005, I taught for three months at the Graduate School of East Asian Studies at Yamaguchi University in Yamaguchi City. Yamaguchi City is home to the prefectural capital of Yamaguchi Prefecture (equivalent to the capital of the mainland), but it is a small city with a population of only 150,000 people, and there is only one east-west street in the city, and Yamaguchi National University is located in the southwest suburb of Yamaguchi City, surrounded by clear streams and rice fields that turn from green to yellow. After traveling to Hagi, the birthplace of Ito Hirobumi, Shimonoseki, the coastal city where the Horse Pass Treaty was signed, and Tsuheno, my hometown outside the Obunhomori Ogura in Shimane Prefecture, it became my daily homework to ride a borrowed bicycle around the city after school.
One of the places to explore is the Snow Boat Garden of Toei-ji Temple, located on the northeastern outskirts of Yamaguchi City.
Residents of small cities have a car every home, and to be precise, every adult should have a car. In contrast, public transport is very underdeveloped. Toei-ji Temple is about 6 kilometers away from my apartment, and for outsiders, it seems that there is only one way to walk except for taxis. Good thing I have a bike. On a crisp early autumn afternoon, after riding for more than half an hour, we came to The Toei-ji Temple at the foot of Mt. Seven Tails, and from the road to the north to the temple is a wide ramp, on the right side there is a huge brown-colored wooden plaque, from right to left, inlaid with several large white characters: The historical site of Changrong Temple Snow Boat Pavilion (the font of snow boat court is much larger than that of Toei Temple). On the back of the temple is the stretching and lush Nanao Mountain.
Outside the xuezhou court of Changrong Temple, Xu Jingbo figure
I came here mainly to find Out Yukiu (1420-1506), a painter (or painter) who has shone in the history of Japanese art, and who has a deep relationship with China that cannot be separated.
Born in Bichu, Japan (now western Okayama Prefecture), Yukifushi did not seem to be wealthy, and according to the 1691 book "History of Honmei Painting" (compiled by Kano Nagana), his family did not seem to be wealthy, and at the age of 12 he went to Hofuku-ji Temple near his hometown to become a monk, and later went to Xiangguo Temple, one of the five mountains in Kyoto, to learn Zen with the famous monk Harukabayashi Shuto, who gave him a Zen name, known as "Wait yang". What had a greater impact on his life was Zhou Wen, a painter who served as the capital of the Xiangguo Temple.
Snow Boat, a famous ink painter of the Muromachi period in Japan. Wikipedia Figures
Zhou Wen was an extremely important painter in Japan in the first half of the 15th century, who fully digested the essence of Chinese Song and Yuan ink painting and founded the "Zhou Wen School" painting method, and later became the imperial painter of the Muromachi shogunate. Xuezhou studied painting with him at Xiangguo Temple, and gained great lessons in both technique and Zen, and the art critic Professor Junji Shima said: "In such an era of poetry and painting study, what Yang mastered was the Zen realm and the setting of the unworldly and pure sacred area in the hidden space of Gaoshi. ("14 Rolls of Snow Boats in Japan", 62 pp., Elementary School Hall, October 1991).
However, due to Zhou Wen's fame, Yukika was unable to gain a chance to emerge, so he left Kyoto and went to Zhoufang (now eastern Yamaguchi Prefecture), which was under the rule of the powerful daimyo Daiuchi Jiaohiro, and became the abbot of Unguan. It was also from this period that he officially began his career as a painter and became a "Humble Emperor Yang".
Around 1463, he also received the ink treasure of the word "snow boat" written by the Monk Chu Shi Fanqi of the Yuan Dynasty. "Like the pure stillness of the snow, like the perpetual movement of the boat", the pronunciation of the two words also happens to be the same as his original legal name, so he took it as his own word, and the world also called it "Snow Boat and other Yang".
Xiangguo Temple is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. Wikipedia Figures
During Xuezhou's stay at Xiangguo Temple, he developed a strong interest in Song and Yuan paintings because of the painter Zhou Wen. In the process of learning to paint, he fell for ink painting originating in China. However, as the title of the painting gradually flourished, he felt more and more that there were not many connotations that Japanese ink painting could excavate, and he wanted to go to China to explore the origin of the classical spirit, absorb nutrition and then open up a new style of painting.
The opportunity to go to China has finally arrived. In 1467, in order to reconcile with China, the Muromachi shogunate decided to send a ship to The Ming Dynasty's China at that time. The snow boat was able to accompany the boat, and among the Zen monks on the same boat, there were also the consciences of the idiots he knew well. In March of that year, the fleet docked in Ningbo, and Xuezhou and others went to visit Tiantong Temple, one of the five mountains of the Chinese Zen Forest, according to the custom of the time.
Perhaps for the sake of etiquette, the snow boat was awarded the title of "the first seat of the Zen class" at Tendo Temple, which made him feel extremely honored to have a humble position in the Japanese Zen forest, and then he would write "the first snow boat pen of the four tomorrow children" when painting, which was somewhat ostentatious, but also showed that he had a very respectful mood for the Chinese Zen forest and regarded it as an ancestral court.
Tiantong Temple is located in the foothills of Taibai Mountain in Yinzhou District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, and is said to have originated in the Western Jin Dynasty. Tendo-ji Temple is a Zen temple, ranked third among the Five Mountains during the Southern Song Dynasty, and is also the ancestral court of the Cho-dong Sect in Japan. Tiantong Temple is also one of the heritage sites of the "Maritime Silk Road" project on the preliminary list of World Cultural Heritage sites in China. Wikipedia Figures
Xuezhou lived in Ningbo for several months and created many paintings based on the scene of Ningbo. In August, the group set off for Beijing along the Grand Canal and arrived in November. Xuezhou came to China in order to seek the classical source of culture and visit famous teachers to bring his painting skills to a higher realm, and he wrote in the preface to "Broken Ink Landscape Map" in his later years:
"Yu once entered the Great Song Dynasty (in fact, it was already the Ming Dynasty at that time, and Xuezhou probably wanted to represent himself as a master of the Song and Yuan painting sects, but still called the Great Song Kingdom - the introducer), waded north of the river, and passed through the outskirts of Qilu as far as Luo (here does not refer to Luoyang, Luo is only a general reference to the capital city in the minds of the Japanese, here should be Beijing - the introducer) to ask for a painter. However, those who wield the clear pluck are also rare. Yu Zichang has a voice and Li Zai get their names at the time, and they follow the purpose of spreading color and the method of breaking ink. (Originally in Chinese)
Snow Boat painted the "Broken Ink Landscape Map" in 1495. It is currently in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum and is one of Japan's national treasures. Above the painting is a self-prologue by Xuezhou himself and an inscription poem by a contemporary monk. The picture is partial. Wikipedia Figures
From here, it can be understood that Xuezhou once studied painting with Li Zai and others, and the method of breaking ink (now commonly known as splashing ink) seems to have been mastered at this time. But the trip to China made him feel a little disappointed in visiting famous teachers. This is because during the period of Xuezhou in China, it was the Ming Dynasty painting circle in the trough period, Dai Jin and a number of other famous artists have passed away, and the Jiangnan literati paintings represented by Wen Zhengming have not yet risen, so there is a sigh of "the one who wields the Qing Dynasty is rare".
According to the conscience who came to China with him in the "Records of the Tiankai Picture Building", when Xuezhou and his party arrived in Beijing, when the reconstruction of the burned Rebbe Yamen was completed, the Rebbe Shangshu at that time heard that there was a painter among the Japanese who came to Beijing, so he asked Xuezhou to paint a mural in the middle hall, and the result was that Xuezhou's painting was deeply praised.
This incident made the snow boat very proud, and later it was widely spread in Japan, and the status of the snow boat became more and more like the sun in the sky, and it was enshrined as a painting saint. According to the inscription of conscience on the winter picture of "Half Pottery", Xuezhou once said to the Japanese around him: "There is no painter in the Tang Dynasty, no painting, just no teacher." Gai Tai Hua Heng Heng Zhi Zhi is also a painting of the Tang Dynasty. And its method of splashing ink, the art of transporting pens, and the hand that should be obtained, in my absence, is the teacher of the Tang Dynasty. ”
"Four Seasons Landscapes, Winter Scenes", currently in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum. Wikipedia Figures
However, more than two years of travel to China, still benefited Xuezhou a lot, the most important thing is China's profound cultural accumulation and magnificent mountains and rivers, so that Xuezhou's mood and vision opened up.
In this regard, conscience recorded in the "Records of the Heavenly Opening Picture Building": "Through the famous mountains and rivers, the majesty and wealth of the capital, the prosperity of the state capital, and the nine yi and eight barbarians, the clothes of benefactors, and the strange things of alien shapes, one by one, are written one by one, so that they can be obtained in the hand and should be in the heart, then their paintings are broad and large, and they cannot be known." ”
The snow boats marched all the way in China, and the majestic mountains and rivers he saw along the way, as well as countless chengguo street markets, temples and Taoist temples, and high-rise buildings and guangyu, all of which were deeply impressed in his heart. Based on sketching and natural creations integrated into his heart, using the ink splashing techniques he learned, he later created "Four Seasons Landscape Map" (long scroll), "Tang Tu Scenic Landscape Picture Scroll", "Map of Characters in Various Places" and other grand works.
Part of the Four Seasons Landscape Map (Long Temple), currently in the Collection of the Maori Museum. Wikipedia Figures
In his later years, Xuezhou's landscape paintings were neither imitations of a painter nor faithful natural sketches, but integrated natural landscapes with the accumulation in their own hearts.
In the "Tang Tu Scenic Picture Scroll", we can see the towering Jinshan Temple in the towering river, the city of Wujiang County, the distant mountains and near the trees, the smoke and clouds, and the mast boat pieces. There are both real and imaginary fictions on the screen, and the two are seamlessly integrated; There are both a few strokes of grandeur and a very real description of details; Although it is a monochrome ink painting, it is suitable for thickness and lightness, the layers are clear, and the whole picture is very spirited.
Xuezhou's painting style surpassed the Zhou Wen of his predecessors and reached an unprecedented new realm, perhaps this is the classical spirit that Xuezhou has been pursuing.
Scroll of The Scenic Landscape of Tang Dynasty, in the kyoto National Museum.
After Xuezhou returned to Japan, coinciding with the great chaos of Yingren, in order to avoid the chaos of the war, he came to Oita in Kyushu and built a "Tenkai Picture Building" in the perfect scenery behind the mountains and facing the sea, where he painted and taught his disciples.
Tiankai Picture Building should be named after the Song Dynasty poet and painter Huang Gu's poem "Tiankai Picture Is Jiangshan", the building named Tiankai Picture Building has been recorded in the Song Dynasty, and Xuezhou also named his painting Zhai Tiankai Picture Building, showing his admiration for Song culture.
Here, Yukisu produced many excellent works, the famous "Four Seasons Landscape Map" is a masterpiece of this time, and then he traveled around, to Kyoto, to Visit Kamakura, and finally to Yamaguchi, restored Ungu-an, and settled down until his death in 1506.
The topic returns to the Snow Boat Garden of Toei-ji Temple. Toei-ji Temple was originally built in 1563 by the local lord Ouchi family, but was moved to this area in 1863 in the late Edo period. And the snow boat court is not the original of the design and production of the snow boat, one of the reasons for the name is nothing more than because the mountain pass is the long-term residence of the snow boat, the snow boat is protected by the Ouchi family, the cause is the deepest, the local lifted out the snow boat to make a name for itself. But the most important thing is that the layout concept of this garden fully demonstrates the charm of snow boat ink landscape paintings, so although there is no shortage of "snow boat gardens" in various parts of Japan, only this place is the most famous.
The dry landscape xu jingbo looking out from the main hall
The entrance is the mountain gate, which is an ordinary Song Dynasty style courtyard gate, turn right and go forward, walk through the bell tower gate, and the Snow Boat Court will be displayed in front of you. Although it is called Toei-ji Temple, there is basically no temple layout, only one main hall, and it is probably the best view to enjoy the garden from the main hall or the tea hall on the east side.
The garden consists of two parts, the most immediate of which is the rocks on the grassy slope, which lie horizontally or erect, with different shapes and can be played by the people themselves. Further ahead, there is a pool, yuexinzi pond, which is said to imitate the landscape of the West Lake, and there are several small islands built in the pool, yuehe island, and a Penglai stone, which is obviously from the Chinese immortal thought.
Xuezhouting Xu Jingbo Figure
The scenery inside the Snow Boat Garden Xu Jingbo Figure
Between the two peninsulas, there is a slender bluestone, which is said to be a model of the white causeway on the West Lake. Further inside, there is a carp stone in the northwest corner, which is really like a carp that is eager to try, and what it faces is a stone waterfall built according to the steep hillside, although there is no sound of agitated water, but from a distance, there is really a little waterfall meaning, and what the gardener wants to express is the allusion of "carp jumping dragon gate". On the east, west, north and east sides of the garden, there are bamboo trees and lush trees.
Carp Stone Yamaguchi City Board of Education Picture
I dare not say whether this garden, which is composed of stacked stones and water, shows the picture of the snow boat landscape painting, but the ingenuity and conception of the gardeners are full of Oriental ideas and Oriental aesthetics.
Editor-in-Charge: Wang Yu
Proofreader: Luan Meng