Li Shutong

Li Shutong (Chinese: 李叔同) (1880-1942) was a Chinese artist and art teacher. He also went by Wen Tao, Guang Hou , and Shu Tong, but was most commonly known as Buddhist Master Hong Yi (Simplified Chinese: 弘一大师). He was a master painter, musician, dramatist, calligrapher, seal cutter, poet, and Buddhist monk. He was born in Tianjin to a banking family originated in Hongdong County, Shanxi, that immigrated to Tianjin in Ming Dynasty though her mother was from Pinghu, Zhejiang province.

In 1898 Li moved to Shanghai and joined the "Shanghai Painting and Calligraphy Association", and the "Shanghai Scholarly Society" while he was attending the Nanyang public school. In 1905 Li went to Japan to study at Tokyo's Shangye Art and Music School, where he specialized in Western painting and music. In 1910 Li returned to China，and was appointed to Tianjin's Beiyang Advanced Industry School. The next year he was appointed as a music teacher at Shanghai's East Girl's School. In 1912 he became a professor at Zhejiang Secondary Normal School as a musician and professor. Come 1915, he was hired by Jiang Qian to teach at Nanjing Advanced Normal School (renamed in 1949 to Nanjing University), and taught painting and music. He also taught at Zhejiang Secondary Normal School.

During these later years, Li’s reputation grew, as he became the first Chinese educator to use nude models in his painting classes, not to mention as the first teacher of Western music in China. Some of the students, like Singapore artist Chen Wen Hsi (陈文希）whom he personally groomed went on to become accomplished masters of the arts in their later days. Li Shutong himself was also an accomplished composer and lyricist. Many of his compositions are still remembered and performed today.

In 1916, Li underwent a 17-day fast at a temple in Hangzhou, and experienced the benefit of a spiritual life. The following year, he took refuge in the Three Jewels of Buddhism. After spending another year there, Li began a new chapter in his life by choosing to be ordained as a monk, and thus began a holistic life dedicated to propagating Buddhism and its code of conduct. After becoming a monk he only practiced calligraphy, developing a simple and unadorned, yet unique style, which everyone who received a sample of treasured. He became known to all as Master Hong Yi. In 1942, Master Hong Yi died peacefully at the age of 63 in Quanzhou, Fujian Province.

Important works

Collections
*"Happy Stones"
*"Li Shutong's Seals"

Articles
*"tu hua xiu de fa" "图画修得法"
*"shui cai hua fa shuo lue" "水彩画法说略"

Lyrics
*Song: "Farewell"

Music
*Song:　"Childhood memories"

*送别歌 Farewell song

长亭外，古道边，芳草碧连天，Beyond the long pavilion, near the ancient route, beautiful grass connecting the sky,

晚风拂柳笛声残，夕阳山外山。The evening wind comforts the willow leaves with the remainder of a Chinese flute play, the setting Sun is beyond the mountains.

天之涯，海之角，知交半零落，On the brink of the sky, in the corner of the sea, there are only a few friends who really know each other,

一瓢浊酒尽余欢，今宵别梦寒。We enjoyed the remaining happiness after a cup of translucent wine, please do not dream cold tonight.

长亭外，古道边，芳草碧连天，Beyond the long pavilion, near the ancient route, beautiful grass connecting the sky,

晚风拂柳笛声残，夕阳山外山。 The evening wind comforts the willow leaves with the remainder of a Chinese flute play, the setting Sun is beyond the mountains.

ee also

* Feng Zikai