A career spent restoring color to capital landmarks
Wu Shurui, 59, has spent 40 years restoring the colored paintings that decorate ancient Chinese buildings and is proud to have stuck to the traditional techniques.
The paintings on the historic wooden structures usually appear on features such as beams, ceilings and the interlocking brackets known as dougong.
“The paintings were used to not only decorate halls and palaces, but also protect wood from weathering and erosion,” Wu said.
Dating back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), various patterns gradually became major themes of the paintings, and Wu said it was important to match the different styles on traditional buildings.
For example, golden dragon and cloud patterns were painted on imperial structures, flowerlike circular patterns were used to decorate temples or government offices, and scenery or scenes from daily life could only be seen in residential houses or private gardens.
“Strict rules and regulations are critical to this job,” Wu said. “They are not just about the patterns; paint varies according to the different periods during which the architecture was built. When restoring the colored paintings, craftsmen must follow historical facts.”
For instance, he said, buildings dating from before the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) were colored with mineral paints, while in the Qianlong period (1711-1799) in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) they used industrial chemicals.
The grandson of a craftsman who worked as a sculptor in the Forbidden City, now called the Palace Museum, Wu began learning the art of restoration in 1978 at the Second Housing Repair Co in Beijing, which was a Stateowned enterprise responsible for repairing historic buildings.
He was taught by experienced craftsmen who used to work at the imperial palace, but it was only after nearly 10 years of study and practice that he began to feel qualified to work as a restorer.
Over the years, Wu has participated in several major restoration projects, including the Qianlong Garden of the Palace Museum, the Tian’anmen Rostrum and the Temple of Heaven. He often works at heights of between 30 and 40 meters under a blazing sun for more than 10 hours a day.
Last year, he was recognized as one of 51 model citizens by Beijing’s publicity department for his hard work and contribution to cultural preservation.
“As time goes by, I’m becoming increasingly passionate about my work because after I experience more, I find I have more to learn about traditional Chinese culture,” he said.
However, not everyone appreciates the complexities of such a beautiful heritage. Wu said traditional architectural painting is not a good choice for someone looking to make quick money.
“Most companies decorating antique-style buildings would not invest too much money in the painting,” he said. “They don’t care about the rules or regulations, what they want is just work that is similar to the old style.
“The shrinking market for use of the orthodox techniques results in fewer people spending decades learning the real skill. After the few remaining elderly masters pass away, the craftsmanship risks being lost.”
Wu has 20 apprentices at his workshop at Beijing Anhaizhiyi Garden Engineering, in the capital’s Daxing district, and he also teaches art college students. He considers his job art rather than labor.
“After years of practicing fundamental skills, it is the knowledge of art and history that helps to make a breakthrough in the field,” he said.
“Art is worth exploring. From the architectural paintings, people can tell whether a country is prosperous or not by judging the artistic standard.”
For example, he said, dragon paintings on buildings in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty always have “strong bodies and bright piercing eyes”, while in the late Qing, dragons “look slim and their eyes are listless”.
“So art can have lots of things to say and directly reflect a nation’s power and fate. It should be fully valued and protected,” he said.
Zhang Yi contributed to this story.