Anyways, in the calligraphy show I went to view, I saw a book listing more than 100 school songs, and all of them from schools from the city of Nantong, in Jiangsu Province. Nantong is a small city across the Yangtze from Shanghai. Small as it is, whenever it’s spoken in the same breath with Shanghai at any rate, Nantong is known as the cradle of modern education.
Today, school songs are few and far between, but back in the day, I have a feeling that school songs were a dime a dozen in Nantong, and I mean it in a good way. Zhan Wan, a Nantong University music teacher who collected the songs from more than 100 local schools (many of which are extinct), explained that it was all thanks to Zhang Jian, the last royal scholar (who finishes first in royal examinations) of the Qing Dynasty. “All the schools were either pioneered or inspired by Zhang Jian,” Zhan explained.
It was Zhang, born and bred in Nantong, who established many firsts in terms modern Chinese education, including setting up the first school for teachers. Among Zhang Jian quotes are: “Patriots come from intelligent pupils”, “Love your country but love your hometown first,” “A wise populace leads to strong nation.”
After Beijing, the calligraphies will go back home to be displayed at the Shen Shou Art Gallery (www.ssysg.com), one of the organizers of the show. Next time you visit Nantong, drop by the gallery where you’ll also see some of the best embroideries you’ll be able to see anywhere.
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