The heavy plaque of "Shang Jian Tang" - Impressions after reading the Collected Works of Shang Jian Tang by the author Tang Xiaoxian

The heavy plaque of "Shang Jian Tang" - Impressions of reading the Collected Works of Shang Jian Tang by the author Tang Xiaoxian Phoenix City Pan Xiaogao received a gift from his friend, the writer Tang Xiaoxian, who recently published...

The heavy plaque of "Shang Jian Tang" - Thoughts on reading the "Collected Works of Shang Jian Tang" by the writer Tang Xiaoxian Phoenix City Pan Xiaogao I received a gift from my friend, the writer Tang Xiaoxian, of his recently published masterpiece "Collected Works of Shang Jian Tang" (electronic version). I was extremely happy. I spent a whole day reading the entire "Collected Works of Shang Jian Tang" with great concentration and seriousness. The first thing that made me think deeply was the title of the book. By using the three characters "Shang Jian Tang" as the header, I could already smell the historical accumulation of this book. The writer was born into a distinguished family. According to the "Genealogy of the Tang Family in Jinyang" (collected by the Shanghai Library), he was one of the 24 heroes of Lingyan Pavilion in the Tang Dynasty (including Changsun Wuji, Wei Zheng, Qin Qiong, etc.) and the 43rd grandson of Tang Jian, Duke of Ju Kingdom. It has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years and has been passed down from generation to generation. The Tang family had outstanding political achievements for generations and advocated frugality. During the Republic of China, the property purchased by the writer's ancestors on Nanchang Street in his hometown of Wuxi was named after the two characters "Shang Jian". The person who wrote the plaque for it was Mr. Wu Zhihui, a veteran of the Chinese Kuomintang. In the spring of the 35th year of the Republic of China (1946), the 82-year-old Mr. Wu Zhihui came to Wuxi in person and inscribed the Shangjian Hall plaque. The Shangjian Hall plaque was successfully produced soon, with black characters on a white background. The white background is painted with several layers of white paint; the black characters are made of shiny anthracite shavings mixed with black paint. After 1949, when the government purchased most of the mansion from the Tang family and expanded the site of Nanchang Street Primary School, the Shang Jian Tang plaque was removed from the hall and remained in the possession of the Tang family. Before the Cultural Revolution, the plaque was still in the firewood room next to the back door of the old house. The family turned it over, with the words facing down, and put it on two bamboo horses with firewood on top. During the Cultural Revolution, the writer's uncle and grandparents were forced to move out of their old house and live in a small house. The whereabouts of the plaque written by Wu Zhihui when he was 60 years old has been unknown since then... It is a pity that such precious cultural relics have been lost. There are many articles in the "Collected Works of Shang Jian Tang" describing the traditional cultural treasures such as plaques, traditional Chinese paintings, and couplets that the author saw at home in his childhood. They were confiscated by the Red Guards during the ten years of catastrophe. The author's helplessness and regret are revealed between the lines. "Collected Works of Shang Jian Tang" is a literary and historical album, which collects nearly 60 articles published by Tang Xiaoxian in newspapers and magazines such as "World Journal", "World Weekly", "Alberta Times" in the United States, and "China and Foreign Magazine" in Taiwan. They are listed under five categories: family history recollection, nostalgic memories, Wuxi stories, characters' spring and autumn, and literary and historical miscellaneous notes. The "Family History" column describes the senior's grandfather, uncles, father, and mother from different perspectives. The family ties and traditional culture are blended together. The "Nostalgic Memories" column describes the people who had a significant impact on the seniors at different times in their lives: Mr. Zhuang Gong Fenggang, whom he admired in childhood, Mr. Shen Zheping, a good teacher in college during his youth, Dr. Lolier, an American who was a good friend he met after arriving in the United States in middle age, etc. "Collected Works of Shang Jian Tang" is full of cultural atmosphere, elegant taste, fresh and concise writing style, and clear narrative structure. The articles cover Chinese and foreign figures, humanities and history, scientific inventions, the beginning and end of wars, espionage cases, folk customs, anecdotes, as well as Chinese quintessences such as poetry, calligraphy, painting, drama, traditional Chinese music, folk arts, and cooking. The writer was in China before moving to the United States, and his writings in his spare time were mainly introductions and research on British and American literature. After coming to the United States, in the 1990s, he began to publish articles in newspapers such as the "Alberta Times" and "World Journal", covering European and American culture, history, literature, characters, etc. After entering the 21st century, the focus of writing shifted to Chinese history, culture, and famous scholars. The author has great admiration for Brother Tang’s scholarly talent. Reading his articles is like reliving the modern history of China. Even "Wuxi County Chronicles" is not as vivid as this collection. It is an excellent work rarely seen in modern times. Brother Tang's articles practice returning to nature. Most parts of the book are presented in the form of original text, translation, and prompts. This is the novelty of the "Collected Works of Shang Jian Tang". There are no quotations from scriptures in the whole text, let alone so-called academic annotations. It is all supported by straightforward words and only a small amount of explanations of characters. The whole text is the accumulation of his knowledge and the essence of the chewing. There is no leakage, alarmism, no shadow of discussion, but he often corrects the misunderstandings of his predecessors or modern people. The binding design of the entire book of "Collected Works of Shang Jian Tang" is also quite distinctive. From the lingo in our publishing industry, "the art editor is a senior expert in the industry"; it has also won the favor of editors and publishers such as Mr. Weng Taisheng and Mr. Wu Baixuan. As an outstanding educator and senior, Mr. Tang’s greatest achievement is that he has students all over the world. In order to inherit Chinese culture, he once founded the first Chinese school in Arizona that teaches Chinese pinyin and simplified characters, and has trained countless students. Mr. Tang not only has friends from all over the world, but also has a happy family. They met in Xiangshui, northern Jiangsu, known as the Lankao of Jiangsu. They once lived together on the barren saline-alkali land, studied together, explored together, went through difficult years together, and shared fruitful happiness together. They are a couple that the younger generations are extremely envious of. Scholars who came out of "Shang Jian Tang" have recorded Mr. Tang's achievements. They use books to make friends, blend emotions, pass on knowledge, and pass on experience. I am honored to read the electronic version of "Shang Jian Tang Collected Works" and have a sneak peek. I can only express my gratitude with these words.