Page 10 - YunnanTourismCultureTimes (107)

09 FOCUS | 焦点

I write Spring Festival couplets for the city gates

我给城门写春联

Dipping the brush fully into the ink ticularly honored to hang Spring Festival
and shaping its tip just right, a few quick couplets on the Ming City Wall.”
strokes bring the “Fu” (Fortune) charac- In the past two years, Sun’s “Fu” char-
ter to life on a square piece of paper in acters and Spring Festival couplets have
an instant. Each year around the Spring been displayed not only on city gates but
Festival, Sun Xiaoyun, the president of also in subways and high-speed railways.
the China Calligraphers Association, Following her example, calligraphers
finds herself busier than ever. For from across the province and even the
nearly 20 years, she has been writing country visit high-speed railway stations,
“Fu” characters and Spring Festival subway stations, bus terminals, as well as
couplets, distributing them to both rural areas, communities, schools, hos-
urban and rural areas. pitals, and other locations to create and
What is the Spring Festival? Sun distribute Spring Festival couplets and
described it as “a time for expressing “Fu” characters. They even hand them
best wishes through calligraphy and out on trains before the Spring Festival
sharing them with others to bring joy to each year, allowing the art of calligra-
everyone.” phy to accompany people during their
In the Year of Yisi, which corresponds holiday travels and journeys home.
to the zodiac sign of the Snake, Chinese When her “Fu” characters and Spring
people celebrate their first Spring Festival Festival couplets adorn the walls of or-
following the successful application for dinary homes and are held by passengers,
World Heritage status for this traditional Sun feels that she, too, receives blessings
celebration. The application is subtitled from others.
“social practices of the Chinese people Why do people write the “Fu” char-
in celebration of traditional new year.” In acter during the Spring Festival? Sun
Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, the event explains that the pictographic compo-
of “Hanging Spring Festival Couplets on sition of the “Fu” character symbolizes
City Gates” has been a significant social the beautiful hopes of family reunion
practice for welcoming the Spring Festi- and happiness. The left side of the oracle
val for the past 10 years and has become bone script for “Fu” features the radical
a beloved new custom among citizens as “ 礻 ”,which represents sacrifice and the
they celebrate the arrival of spring. act of praying for protection through of-
Sun has been writing Spring Festival ferings to the gods. The shape on the right
couplets for the city gates of Nanjing top resembles the roof of a house, and
for 10 consecutive years. As a resident below it is a “ 口 ”, symbolizing having
of Nanjing for nearly 70 years, she has food to eat. Additionally, the character
a deep affection for this historic city. “In has a “ 田 ” at the bottom right, repre-
the first few years, I wrote for Xuanwu senting land to cultivate. “Having enough
Gate, which I passed by countless times to eat and drink, land to farm, and the
on my way to and from work. I have a entire family together—that’s what ‘Fu’
special connection to it, and I feel par- is all about,” she said.