Hongguang Pavilion

　　Destination Introduction
　　The Hongguang Pavilion antique and calligraphy & painting shop, located on the north side of East Liulichang Street, was established in the 12th year of the Republic of China (1923 AD). It was founded by Du Yingkui (courtesy name Huating) from Wu Yi County, Hebei Province. Nowadays, the shop mainly deals in antiques, ceramics, calligraphy, paintings, steles, and rubbings from various dynasties, and has been designated as an “official designated shop” by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Tourism.

　　　　Chinese painting is a traditional Chinese national art form with a long history and distinguished heritage. It forms a unique system within the global art field. It can generally be divided into categories such as figure painting, landscape painting, architectural painting, flower-and-bird painting, poultry-and-beast painting, insect-and-fish painting, etc. It employs techniques such as meticulous brushwork, freehand brushwork, outline drawing, boneless painting, color application, and ink wash, using methods like hooking, texturing, dotting, washing, varying tones and moisture, light and shade, front and back, void and solid, density and sparsity, as well as negative space to depict objects and compose layouts. Its framing perspective is broad and not confined to focal points. It comes in various formats such as murals, screens, handscrolls, album leaves, and fan paintings, and is mounted using distinctive traditional mounting techniques.

　　　　Figure painting matured during the Warring States period, while landscape and flower-and-bird painting had already appeared by the Sui and Tang dynasties. The Five Dynasties and the Song dynasties saw their prosperity, along with the rise of ink-wash painting (475 BC – 1279 AD). In terms of style, the Yuan dynasty gradually leaned toward expressive freedom, and the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as modern times, continued this development with an emphasis on “expressing meaning and conveying spirit.” Meanwhile, both the Tang and Ming-Qing periods were influenced by Buddhist and Christian art, respectively. Chinese painting emphasizes “learning from nature externally and drawing inspiration from the heart internally,” requiring that “intention precedes the brush, and the meaning extends beyond the painting,” achieving a balance where form portrays spirit and both are fully realized. Due to the shared origin of calligraphy and painting, as well as their close integration in expressing meaning through the use of lines, painting interacts significantly with poetry, calligraphy, and even seal carving, forming distinct artistic characteristics. The tools and materials used are also uniquely Chinese, including brushes, ink, inkstones, paper, and silk.

　　　　Nowadays, Chinese painting artworks with distinctive national characteristics are increasingly appreciated, loved, and collected by art enthusiasts both in China and abroad. This is especially true in Japan, whose culture is similar to China’s. Many Japanese people are deeply enamored with traditional Chinese calligraphy and painting. They cherish not only ancient masterpieces but also works by contemporary renowned artists. Purchasing and collecting high-quality Chinese calligraphy and paintings is considered a great joy for them.

　　　　The plaque of “Hongguang Pavilion” was inscribed by the calligrapher and painter Dong Shouping, and it has a history of 75 years.

　　 Beijing Xuanwu District