Given Shandong’s much vaunted cultural heritage — Qufu was the hometown of Confucius, and Qin Shihuang first declared China a unified country on the slopes of Taishan — the provincial capital of Jinan is something of a letdown. Largely serving travelers as a transit hub to other destinations in Shandong —the only excitement buzzing around Jinan was in regards to the fallen Chongqing princeling-politician Bo Xilai. I happened to be in Jinan, en route to Tai’an, to visit an artist and check on his progress for an upcoming show in Hong Kong.
I specialize in contemporary Chinese ink paintings, so I felt a duty to visit the newly opened gallery devoted to the pioneering ink artist Liu Guosong at the Shandong Provincial Museum, which reopened in 2010 after an extensive renovation. As an homage to his ancestral home of Qingzhou, Shandong, the artist donated one hundred of his artworks to the museum in April.
And for an artist who painted so prolifically, the selection does rather a good job at presenting a survey of Liu’s work from the last forty years. It was a pity to see so few visitors, although this can perhaps be explained by the fact that the artist is seen as a native of Taiwan, having moved there from Mainland China at the age of 17. Also, the museum’s lack of clear signage and mammoth size make the gallery easy to miss.
Any trip to Shandong would be incomplete without a hike up Taishan. I set out on an early morning climb, following the groups of grandmothers and Korean hikers up the steps and into the mist. I finally reached the summit, which was filled with large tour groups and noisy travelers clambering on rocks in search of the best camera shot. That evening, back at the foothills of the mountain, I went to the Puzhao Temple, dating back to the Southern and Northern dynasties. I was met by a low hum of gongs and chanting. I sat in one of the small halls, surrounded by ancient cypress and locut trees, sipping different varieties of pu’er tea and chatting to the temple manager and his rookie monks. It was peaceful and it reassured me to know that amid the throngs of tourists bringing the urban hustle and bustle with them, Taishan still rewards us with moments of tranquility.
