Adoption in China

The Badashanren Museum
From a mom travelling in January 1996: The Badashanren museum was interesting but it took about 20 minutes by bus to get there. We were definitely in the country and not the city. It was a rainy day and we thought the museum would get us inside out of the rain. Not so. Most of the museum was open air and courtyards. Often the only thing protecting the art from the outside elements was a single layer of glass. The electricity was off the day we visited. That didn't hinder us very much because the museum was so open and natural light was available. However, one room contained wax figures posed to represent Badasharen doing Caligraphy. We couldn't see a thing in that room. I took a flash photo so I could see what it looked like when I got home. They had lovely postcards and artwork for sale at the museum.

This is what a brochure from the museum says:
Badasharen, named Zhu Da, born in 1626 AD and died in 1705 AD, 9th grandson of the 16th son of Zhu YuanZhang, first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, is an outstanding caligrapher and painter in the period from the late Ming Dynasty to the early Qing Dynasty in our country. After the Ming Dynasty died out angry at the Qing Dynasty he became a monk, and then resided in seclusion in the Nanchang Qingyunpu Taoist Compound.

His artistic characteristics are implicit, reserved, logic, pure and honest. The strokes and ink treatment of his paintings are unusual, pure, detailed and smooth. The painting of objects is simple yet right to the point, and vivid like real ones. The background of his works is clear, simple, outstanding and free from vulgarity. His caligraphy and paintings have reached the state in which is integrated with ingenious effect, color, character and pride, thus has opened a new era.

For the past 300 years, Badashanren has been popular in the painting world. His artistic techniques deeply influenced famous painters, such as Yangzhou Baguai, Wu Changsuo, Qi Baishi, Zhang Daqian, Pan Tianshou and Li Kuchan. Naturally, he is regarded as a great master in our country's painting world.

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