Qi Gong, a top Chinese calligrapher, painter, scholar of classical Chinese philology and art connoisseur, died early on June 30 in Beijing at the age of 93.

At Beijing Normal University, where Qi Gong taught classical Chinese language and literature for more than 60 years, teachers and students mourned their professor's passing.

Introduction of Qi Gong

Qi Gong, originally surnamed Aisin Giorro, was born into a Manchu family in Beijing on July 26, 1912 in Beijing. Aisin Giorro was an imperial clan name of the "Eight Banners" during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Qi, whose pen name was Yuan Bai, studied under the famous historian Professor Chen Yuan at a young age.

In 1935, he started work as a teaching assistant at Fujen University in Beijing, which later became Beijing Normal University. He continued teaching Chinese classics and literature at the university and also taught the study of traditional Chinese antiques at Peking University.

Before his passing away, he was the honorary president of Chinese Calligraphers' Association, director of Cultural Relic Authentication Committee of the State Council, professor of Beijing Normal University, and member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

A master artist and learned scholar

Mr. Qi Gong was a famous scholar, painter, and calligrapher with a legendary life. He grew up in extreme poverty and had to drop out of middle school when still a teenager. Yet he continued to pursue his love of art and knowledge and managed to become a private student of leading scholars and painters. To support his family and buy books, he often had to sell his paintings and work as a tutor.

Influenced by Professor Chen Yuan (1880-1971), Qi Gong spent all his life on being an expert linguist and was quite learned even in China's eight-part essay, a literary legacy of ancient history. He was also good at poetry and at the same time proficient in ascertaining ancient scrolls and paintings, especially those with stone inscriptions.

He learned calligraphy in his childhood, and studied various historical stone inscriptions of calligraphy in detail. He was deft in merging the characteristics of different eras and authors, and versatile in all the writing styles, especially the regular script (kaishu), the running hand (xingshu), and the cursive script (caoshu) styles. His style embodies the essence of great classical calligraphers like Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi, yet unique in its own way.

He was also a learned scholar in the areas of Chinese ancient song lyrics, phonology, semantics, and Dream of the Red Chamber study, and published extensively in these fields. He was also very versatile in poetry writing and appreciation, and used his own poems in his calligraphy extensively.

Qi Gong was better known as a painter than a calligrapher in his early years. By the 1930s, his particular style of Chinese ink painting had already begun to mature. He was especially good at painting landscapes, bamboo, and rocks. Primarily influenced by the traditional literati painting, his early works displayed an exceptional grasp of images, colors, and brushwork.

Later, Qi was also known as a cultural relics connoisseur who developed an art connoisseur's keen eyes by visiting the Palace Museum frequently. He authenticated, salvaged, and preserved abundant rare and valuable cultural relics for the country. He established himself internationally by attending various influential treasure-authenticating events and international academic conferences in countries such as Japan, Singapore, the United States, South Korea, Britain, and France, promoting international cultural exchanges.

An upright person and qualified teacher

At Beijing Normal University, where he taught classical Chinese language and literature for more than 60 years, Qi Gong left behind two valuable treasures: One is spiritually known as the phrasal school regulations "Learn to be a teacher, and behave as a model" which embodies the profound edification of how to be an upright person and a qualified teacher; the other is the Li Yun Grant to award and aid students in their studies.

Qi Gong was an associate professor at Furen University in 1949 and in 1952 he taught in the Department of Chinese Literature of Beijing Normal University (Furen), and was promoted to professor when he was 43. A professor of classic Chinese language and literature, he had served from the early 1980s up to his death as a tutor to Master's degree and Doctorate students, who are now the backbone of China's classical literature circle.
Qi Gong once accepted that what he valued the most was his work as a teacher and for that he was deeply grateful to his mentor Chen Yuan, who led him towards a life-long career as a teacher and scholar. Qi Gong passed what he had learned from Chen Yuan, as well as his own selfless love, on to his generations of students.

Qi Gong set up the Li Yun Grant in 1990 with 1.63 million yuan (US$196.904) of his own money, money raised at a sale of work in Hong Kong during which he sold out more than a hundred painting and calligraphic works of his own. .

Together with his mentor, Chen Yuan

Qi Gong was good at turning hard topics into light and easy ones. Although he was a scholar with profound knowledge, his books are always easy to read and enlightening to the mind. His classes were always popular and filled with interesting, casual talks.

"My teacher is a very qualified teacher," said Li Shan, said a former student a while back, now himself a professor at the university.

A humorous and generous old grandpa

Despite being an acclaimed teacher, it is true that Qi Gong was more famous as an artist. People will remember him as a humorous, modest, generous, and open-minded "old grandpa."

Faced with the praise of "a living national treasure" due to his art, knowledge, and personality, Qi always joked that it sounded like he was "a giant panda."

Qi wrote a large number of calligraphic pieces that can be seen on a host of landmark buildings, at scenic spots around China, and on many book covers alongside the book titles. To own a piece of calligraphy by Qi Gong is the dream of many of his admirers, let alone those sharp-eyed experts and other enthusiasts.

Although Qi Gong's full name was Aisin Giorro Qigong, he never put it on any of his paintings, books, essays, or letters. He once responded, tongue-in-cheek, "My last name is Qi and middle name is Gong. I do not take from my ancestors, nor do I associate with any 'Eight Banners' brotherhood. I rely on my own ability to make a living."

But he was deeply grateful to his mentor Chen Yuan who led him towards a life-long career as a teacher and scholar and who never gave up on the talented Qi Gong, even though Qi lived in poverty and did not even complete middle school.

What he also valued most in his life was the pure love and selfless support between him and his wife Zhang Baochen who passed away in 1975. From then until his death, Qi Gong lived alone in his home and studio on the university campus. The couple had no children.

Qi Gong's death has been met with sadness by the public, and has been especially felt by the country's artists, calligraphers, and art collectors.