Representing Old Beijing

By+Ji+Jing

China attracts tens of millions of inbound tourists annually， with the ancient capital of Beijing topping the list of their destinations. But while many visitors seek to explore the citys long history through its traditional customs and classic architecture， several decades of rapid development has utterly transformed the Beijing experience. To appreciate the “old city” as it appeared generations ago， one must now look to the art produced by those who lived in it.

Fang Yan， a 74-year-old painter who grew up in Beijing， has devoted himself for decades to preserving old Beijing on his canvases. His newly published illustrations collection， Pictures of Old Beijing： Living Memories of the Ancient Capital， has presented a panoramic view of Beijing during the period spanning from 1912 to 1948.

Published by New Star Press， the collection contains four volumes titled Life in Old Beijing； Ancient Architecture； Old Tianqiao Scenes； and Local Customs and Practices. Each volume is bound together using colorful threads on the right like ancient Chinese tomes. The collection features more than 400 pictures vividly depicting the daily life， food， customs， festivals， street performances and buildings of old Beijing. Half of the pictures are black and white and half are in color. A short description accompanies each illustration.

The book has been distributed in China as well as in English-speaking countries such as the United States， Britain and Australia. So far， nearly 2，000 copies have been sold.

Sun Zhipeng， Director of the General Editorial Office of New Star Press， told Beijing Review that the collection could be of interest to foreign visitors to Beijing who wish to learn more about the citys history.

Preserving history

Fang spent over one year painting the pictures included in the collection. In order to create an accurate portrayal， he had to research a large number of historical accounts both online and in books before putting his pen to paper. A picture was drawn based on historical accounts together with his memories. It sometimes took him several days to draw a small picture in order to guarantee accuracy.

“Only people as old as me are able to draw ancient Beijing because we have seen what the city was like in the old days，” said Fang.

Many of the architectural sites he painted have been demolished and many customs were lost in the course of history. For example， most of the 16 city gates drawn by Fang were torn down during the 1950s and the 1960s to facilitate transportation， leaving only parts of the Zhengyangmen and Deshengmen gates remaining. Beijing proper was once surrounded by a city wall with a total of 16 gates， nine for the Inner City in the north and six for the Outer City in the south. The Forbidden City， where the emperor resided， was located in the Inner City.

Vendors selling stringed jujubes， sesame oil and goose feather fans in hutongs（residential alleyways）； traditional forms of transportation such as mule carriages， sedan chairs and rickshaws； and martial arts performances， wrestling matches and puppet shows were once ubiquitous in the Tianqiao area in the ancient Outer City. These activities， which were formerly commonplace in public， would appear quite unusual to todays Beijingers—especially the younger generation.

When he was young， Fang lived near Xizhimen Gate in the northwest of the ancient Inner City， where he would often climb onto the gate tower to fly kites and pick wild jujubes with his friends. With a keen interest in painting， he often drew pictures of city gates， temples and other ancient buildings. In winter， when it was too cold to stay outside， he would go to the train station and sketch portraits of passengers.

Fang said that the painting skills accumulated early in his life laid a solid foundation for his future career as a painter.

“Its inevitable that things fade out of history due to natural disasters or damage. However， I can preserve historic memories through my paintings so that the generations to come will be able to know what Beijing was like，” said Fang.

Fang is uncertain about how significant of a role his paintings can play， but he is committed to making the attempt.

One of his most notable works is a 7.8-meter-long scroll painting of Beijings south-tonorth central axis. Palaces， temples， altars and ancient government offices were built symmetrically along the axis when Beijing served as the imperial capital. The city was first made a national capital in A.D. 1153 during the Jin Dynasty（1115-1234）， before going on to function as the capital of the ensuing Yuan （1271-1368）， Ming（1368-1644） and Qing （1644-1911） dynasties.

The Beijing Municipal Government launched a bid to apply world cultural heritage status for the central axis in 2011 and Fang was named an ambassador for the initiative that year.

In his foreword to Legacy of the Old Capital， another collection of Fangs illustrations published in 2012， Luo Zhewen （1924-2012）， noted expert on ancient Chinese architect， commented， “Fang has accurately recorded the hutongs， stores and lifestyles of old Beijing in pictures， which is a remarkable feat.”

A secluded life

In order to be fully devoted to painting， Fang moved to his current abode in the suburban Tongzhou District， located about two hoursdrive from the city center， in 2003. The quiet surroundings of his house have enabled him to focus on his art.

Fang said if he lived in downtown， his retired friends， who have a lot of leisure time， would frequently drop in for a visit—an often time- consuming burden. Now that he lives far from central Beijing， few people pay him a visit.

Fang， who has few hobbies aside from painting and gardening， spends most of his time creating paintings of old Beijing.

“My wife and I lead a simple life. We seldom dine out or shop for expensive items，” said Fang. As Fang is presbyopic and does not know how to use the computer， his wife helps him do research for his artworks.

Fang is not alone in his quest to artistically depict old Beijing. Currently there are scores of painters engaged in the cause. Although these painters use differing techniques to draw different aspects of the city， they have one thing in common： They all cherish a deep love for the capital.

“As an artist who grew up in Beijing， Fang has deep affection toward the city，” said Liu Lihua， Deputy Editor in Chief of New Star Press.

Despite his ripe age， Fang is still ambitious. He plans to host a solo exhibition of paintings of old Beijing in the near future. The exhibition will include 100 to 200 pictures larger in size than those included in his newly released collection and painted in the styles of both ancient Chinese paintings and Western oil paintings. He is currently in the process of drawing sketches for the exhibition.