"In the dim, bewildering realm of pond and floating weeds, ripples tremble on the clear water; amid the pink mist and blue haze, one's resentment melts; the fragrance of lotuses veils the water, the flowers swell as if their crimson hue colored the waves into rouge, and the pool became a mirror to reflect a myriad of beauties competing with envy."
In his ci (rhythmic verses) work, To the Tune "Guo Qin Lou" . Lotus, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) poet Wu Wenying depicted a dazzling scene of the prosperous lotus pond immersed in a mystic, mournful mood.
The refined, sophisticated verses Wu composed some 800 years ago are now rendered through paintings and technological devices, depicting a vivid lotus pond veiled in wispy fog, providing a cool haven amid the summer heat and a one-of-a-kind ethereal experience that characterizes Song Dynasty (960-1279) aesthetics.
The cinematic scene, derived from an ink painting by veteran artist Dai Dunbang, born in 1938, is one of several immersive spots at Echoes of Song Ci, an exhibition to inaugurate the Daidunbang Art Museum's opening on July 9 in Shanghai, where Dai has lived and worked for decades.
