Yunnan Spring Greetings (III)
Density, Depth, Tradition, and Authenticity: Ever since my very first experiences in China back in 1978, these four concepts have been inextricably linked with my understanding of the country and its culture. So let’s first turn our gaze to a place that embodies all these qualities in a truly venerable way: Shibaoshan.
The Art Historical Significance of Shibaoshan 石宝山
The Shizhongshan Grottoes at Shibaoshan are among the most important surviving monuments from the Nanzhao and Dali Kingdoms in Yunnan. Created between the ninth and twelfth centuries, their carvings include Buddhist deities, rulers and court figures, reflecting the interaction of Buddhist traditions with the distinctive culture of the region.
The carvings remarkably blend the sacred and secular, immortalizing Nanzhao kings alongside deities to offer rare insights into life on the Southern Silk Road.
A particularly unusual feature is the “Ayangbai,” a representation of female genitalia incorporated into the Buddhist site. Its precise meaning remains debated, but it has been associated with local fertility beliefs, maternal symbolism and the interaction between regional traditions and Buddhism.
Traces of Blue
The traces of blue visible on some of the figures are a fascinating reminder that Shibaoshan developed within a region connected to long-distance networks of trade and cultural exchange. Imported pigments and artistic materials circulated widely across Asia, but without a scientific analysis of the surviving color, it would be difficult to determine the precise pigment or its origin. What is certain is that the art of Shibaoshan emerged in a cultural environment shaped by contacts between Yunnan and regions far beyond it.
A Reflection on Blue-and-White Porcelain
The blue also brought Chinese porcelain to mind, although this is a separate history from the colors on these carvings. As the National Museum of Asian Art explains, Chinese blue-and-white porcelain owes much to trade with West Asia, which supplied much of its cobalt in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. I find it remarkable how this once widely traded luxury aesthetic has become familiar in everyday tableware.
Heshun: Harmony and Tradition
Heshun Ancient Town (和顺古镇) stands as a living museum of the Southern Silk Road. Renowned as a “Hometown of Overseas Chinese,” its architecture displays a unique fusion of traditional Ming and Qing styles with Western elements brought back by returning merchants. The name itself embodies the village’s philosophy: Harmony (和) and Smoothness (顺). Unlike other commercialized towns, Heshun retains a scholarly atmosphere, best exemplified by its historic library, one of China’s best-known historic rural libraries. Its doors and courtyards also appear in Doors Between Worlds, alongside entrances photographed in Austria.
Traditional Timber Architecture: A Living Puzzle
Our four guiding concepts—density, depth, tradition, and authenticity—became tangible in the hotels where we stayed. Their wooden courtyards and carved beams invited a closer look at traditional timber construction. Mortise-and-tenon joinery, sunmao (榫卯), connects wooden components through interlocking joints. I could admire the workmanship without knowing the exact age of each building or how much had been restored.
The Dao of the Street Sweeper
A somewhat more prosaic example of our four keywords becomes clear in this photo. Likely, this man would go unnoticed by most, being “merely” a street sweeper. Yet, look at his tool: a broom made of bundled bamboo twigs, a design in use for centuries, and for good reason. It represents a practical tradition that still serves its purpose. Watching his rhythmic work, I found a quiet depth and authenticity—the simple, meditative Dao of daily life.
The Eternal Broom: Han Shan and Shi De
To illustrate this continuity, I share a drawing I made years ago of the Zen eccentrics Han Shan (寒山) and Shi De (拾得). In it, Shi De holds the exact same bamboo broom seen so often here. The image brings to mind the long association of sweeping with simplicity, discipline and everyday practice in Zen traditions. The bamboo broom creates a striking visual connection between the old drawing and daily life in Yunnan today. My essay Zen and the Arts explores how attention to ordinary experience also informs my painting and calligraphy.
My Zen Paintings portfolio brings together other visual responses to Zen, from a few expressive marks to more abstract forms.
Living History: Impressions of Heshun and Qiluo
After these reflections on history and Zen, we turn to the vibrant present. Heshun is not merely a museum for tourists, but a living community. Nowhere is this vitality more palpable than in the nearby farmers’ market of Qiluo (绮罗). Here, our abstract concepts of “authenticity” and “tradition” take on a noisy, colorful, and deliciously edible form.
More Yunnan Spring Greetings: Part I – Spring Greetings · Part II – Just Shaxi · Part III – Density, Depth, Tradition and Authenticity · Part IV – Every Day an Adventure · Part V – Pure Dao · Part VI – Along the Tea Road · Part VII – South of the Clouds · Part VIII – Customs, Traditions and Religion · Part IX – Buddha’s Light · Part X – Afterthoughts on the Yunnan Journey
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