The spring couplets by Chiayi-based calligrapher Chen Ming-ching (陳明卿) are unique as they feature 84 invented symbols composed of repositioned Chinese characters and rebus puzzles.
Chen, 68, plays with Chinese idioms by rearranging separate characters in New Year greetings and idioms into individual symbols.
Even native speakers need some time to decipher the symbols, he said.
Photo: Tseng Nai-chiang, Taipei Times
One popular creation is that composed of zhao cai jin bao (招財進寶, “amassing wealth and treasure”) commonly seen on Lunar New Year’s couplets, the sight of which motivated Chen to create similar symbols and establish his own studio, which he named Jhuluoshan (諸羅山), the ancient name for Chiayi.
Chen has created more than 500 symbols, including those made of ma dao cheng gong (馬到成功, “succeeding in something the moment you start doing it”), nian nian you yu (年年有餘, “surpluses every year) and tian tian kai xin (天天開心, “happy every day”).
His creations also include felicitous expressions used to celebrate weddings, housewarmings and business openings, which have now been gathered in a book.
Character strokes must be rearranged properly, otherwise viewers would not be able to recognize the characters and the symbols would lose artistic value, Chen said.
He said he spent more than three years redesigning the seven characters of xiangqi (象棋, Chinese chess) into one symbol.
The Shuangfu (雙福) community development association in Chiayi County’s Minsyong Township (民雄) commissioned him to paint 35 symbols on a wall at the community’s entrance.
His creations combining images of deities and words praising them are popular among his friends, who use them in their stores to attract visitors.
Also fond of collecting stones and making sculptures, Chen also serves as chairman of the Chiayi City Stone Sculpture Association.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
There are 77 incidents of Taiwanese travelers going missing in China between January last year and last month, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said. More than 40 remain unreachable, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said on Friday. Most of the reachable people in the more than 30 other incidents were allegedly involved in fraud, while some had disappeared for personal reasons, Luo said. One of these people is Kuo Yu-hsuan (郭宇軒), a 22-year-old Taiwanese man from Kaohsiung who went missing while visiting China in August. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office last month said in a news statement that he was under investigation
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
An aviation jacket patch showing a Formosan black bear punching Winnie the Pooh has become popular overseas, including at an aviation festival held by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force at the Ashiya Airbase yesterday. The patch was designed last year by Taiwanese designer Hsu Fu-yu (徐福佑), who said that it was inspired by Taiwan’s countermeasures against frequent Chinese military aircraft incursions. The badge shows a Formosan black bear holding a Republic of China flag as it punches Winnie the Pooh — a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) — who is dressed in red and is holding a honey pot with
RSS