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Chronological Events
About fifteen li south of Yuzhang Commandery’s capital lies a renowned scenic site called “Qingyun Pu,” which traces its origins back to Prince Jin of the Zhou Dynasty. At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, Mei Fu (styled Zizhen), the magistrate of Nanchang, once lived in seclusion here, fishing and angling. Later generations built the “Temple of Immortal Mei” to honor him.
During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Xu Xun (Jingyang) “reconstructed its foundations and promoted the teachings of Jingming and Loyalty.”
In the fifth year of Tang Daye (831), Prefect Zhou Xun submitted a memorial requesting the establishment of the “Taiyi Guan.”
In the second year of Zhihe during the Song dynasty (1055), it was granted the imperial name “Tianning Guan.”
In the 18th year of the Qing Shunzhi era (1661), Zhu Daolang of the Quanzhen sect, having visited the remains of earlier sages and captivated by the beauty and spiritual essence of the mountains and rivers, rebuilt a hall and named it “Qingyun Pu.” Later, it was renamed “Qingyun Pu.”
In the 34th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty (1695), Jiangxi Provincial Governor Zhan Nanping and Huang Zhengfu of Xin'an oversaw the renovation of certain halls. The renovation project was completed in the 41st year of the Kangxi reign (1702). (For further details, see Dai Youqi’s “Record on the Reconstruction of Qingyunpu,” dated the 41st year of the Kangxi reign, i.e., 1702.)
In the 19th year of the Qing Jiaqing era (1814), Huang Chun’an and his son from Nanchang funded the reconstruction of Qingyunpu. (From Dai Junyuan’s “Record of the Reconstruction of Qingyunpu” during the Qing dynasty.)
From the 26th year of the Qing Guangxu reign (1900) to the 2nd year of the Republic of China (1913), Xu Zhongqing, who at the time served as the abbot of Qingyunpu, raised funds to successively build the Xu Ancestral Hall, the Jade Emperor Pavilion, the halls dedicated to Lü Zu and Guan Di, the Three Palaces, the Ancestral Hall, the Crane Nest, the Millet Residence, and the Doumu Pavilion. He also opened paths and dug canals on the eastern side of the courtyard, constructed ponds, and built pavilions.
Greening the garden. (From Qing Xu Yunyan’s “Preface to the Revised Records of Qingyunpu”).
On July 1, 1957, the People's Committee of Jiangxi Province announced the first batch of key cultural relics protection units, “Qingyunpu.” (History of Nanchang City)
In 1958, Xia Yan, Deputy Minister of the Central Cultural Department, visited the Qingyunpu Daoist Monastery, where Abbot Han Shousong introduced the monastery’s history. (From “Chronicles of Nanchang City”) The State Ministry of Culture allocated 4,000 yuan in preparation funds to repair some of the dilapidated and outdated old buildings and install basic facilities.
On October 1, 1959, China's first memorial hall dedicated to an ancient painter—the “Eight Great Masters of the Brush Memorial Hall”—was officially opened.
In February 1961, Chairman Zhu De visited and inspected the museum. In September, Premier Zhou Enlai visited and inspected the museum.
In 1962, Qingyunpu was hit by a flood, and the government allocated a special fund of 40,000 yuan for its renovation. The thousand-year-old “Tang Gui” tree was submerged and perished.
In 1966, when the Cultural Revolution began, Comrade Wu Zhenbang, the original director of the museum, organized staff members to move authentic calligraphy and paintings by Bada Shanren—along with other cultural relics—from Qingyunpu and seal them together with revolutionary artifacts at the Memorial Hall of the Nanchang Uprising. After that, the museum building was occupied by No. 9 Middle School of Nanchang.
In 1973, the government allocated 170,000 yuan for a major renovation.
In 1980, the relevant government departments allocated 100,000 yuan for comprehensive repairs. In October, the “Eight Great Mountainsmen Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition Hall” reopened.
In January 1981, an exhibition of authentic calligraphy and paintings by Bada Shanren was held in Tokyo and other cities in Japan.
In 1983, the access road to the museum was renovated.
In 1984, the government allocated 150,000 yuan to build a new storage building for cultural relics. In April, the “Eight Great Mountains Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition Hall” was renamed the “Eight Great Mountains Memorial Hall.”
In April 1986, the access road to the temple was widened, and various supporting facilities, including an expanded parking lot, were added. The government allocated 40,000 yuan for a comprehensive renovation of the Xu Zu Hall, the Lü Zu Hall, and the San Guan Hall. In October 1986, a series of events commemorating the 360th anniversary of the birth of Bada Shanren was held, during which the book “Research on Bada Shanren” was published and the television documentary “A Remarkable Master of the Painting World” was produced.
On December 28, 1987, the People's Government of Jiangxi Province issued Document Ganfu Fa [1987] No. 122, “Notice on the Publication of the Third Batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units and the Re-Announcement of the First Batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units,” re-designating Qingyunpu as a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit.
In November 1988, the Research Society for Bada Shanren was established. The second academic symposium was held at Qingyunpu, featuring the “Zhang Daqian’s Reproductions of Dunhuang Murals Exhibition” and the “Exhibition of Works by Members of the Research Society for Bada Shanren.” The second volume of “Research on Bada Shanren” was published.
In December 1989, it was awarded the title of “National Advanced Collective in Cultural Relics Security and Protection” by the Ministry of Public Security and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
In April 1990, Comrade Qiao Shi (then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice Premier of the State Council) visited the museum.
In 1991, the “Eight Great Mountain People Calligraphy and Painting Stele Corridor” was completed. In September, it was recognized by the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Culture as an “Advanced Collective in the Province-wide Cultural Relics Safety Year Campaign.” The government allocated 50,000 yuan for the repair of the Crane Nest and Doumu Pavilion in Qingyunpu, as well as for reinforcing the courtyard walls.
In September 1993, Comrade Li Ruihuan (then Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference) visited and inspected the museum.
In October 1994, the “Gannan Academy of Painting Exhibition” was held.
In 1995, the “Sanqingshan Stone Inscription Forest” and the “Wuyishan Academy of Painting Works Exhibition” were held separately.
In 1996, the government allocated 100,000 yuan for the repair of the roof of the ancient buildings at Qingyunpu, as well as for painting the beams, columns, doors, and windows.
In November 1997, the “International Exhibition of Selected Works from the 25th Annual Exhibition of the American Pastel Society” was held.
In October 1999, Comrade Li Tieying (then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Party Secretary) visited the museum.
In February 2000, the exhibition “Authentic Calligraphy and Paintings by Bada Shanren and Other Renowned Masters from the Museum Collection” was held.
In May 2001, Comrade Wu Yi (then a candidate member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and State Councilor) visited the museum for an inspection. On June 1, Comrade Jiang Zemin (then General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China) and Comrade Zeng Qinghong (then a candidate member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and Minister of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee) visited the museum for an inspection.
In January 2002, the State Post Bureau issued a special set of stamps (six stamps) featuring selected works by Bada Shanren.
In February 2003, the “Exhibition of Fine Ming and Qing Dynasty Paintings and Calligraphy from the Collection of the Jiangxi Provincial Museum” was held. To coincide with this exhibition, the Jiangxi Fine Arts Publishing House spent seven years publishing a beautifully illustrated, large-format album titled “The Complete Works of Bada Shanren.” The Jiangxi Provincial Department of Culture allocated 50,000 yuan to ensure adequate fire-fighting water supply for the entire museum. In October, the “Exhibition of Precious Ming and Qing Dynasty Paintings and Calligraphy from the Palace Museum” was held.
In October 2005, Comrade Li Lanqing (former member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council) visited the museum for an inspection.
In June 2006, it was designated as the sixth batch of “National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units” by the State Council. In August, the Ministry of Finance allocated 500,000 yuan for the restoration and comprehensive repainting of the ancient buildings at Qingyunpu. In September, a series of events were held to commemorate the 380th anniversary of the birth of Bada Shanren.
In 2007, Tao Weimin donated thirty posthumous works by Liang Bangchu to the Eight Great Mountains Man Memorial Hall. A symposium on Liang Bangchu’s calligraphy and painting art, as well as an exhibition of Liang Bangchu’s calligraphy and painting, were also held.
In 2008, the “Liang Bangchu Painting Exhibition” was held in Nanchang, Macao, Zhuhai, and other locations.
In 2009, the museum was designated as a National Level-2 Museum. Comrade Liu Yunshan (then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and Head of the CPC Central Propaganda Department) and Comrade Hui Liangyu (then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Vice Premier of the State Council, and member of the Party Leadership Group) visited the museum for inspection.
In 2010, the renovation and expansion of the Eight Great Mountains Man Memorial Hall were completed. A new exhibition hall dedicated to the authentic works of Eight Great Mountains Man was built, and comprehensive repairs were carried out on the historic Qingyunpu complex. An art research center dedicated to Eight Great Mountains Man was also established as a complementary facility.
In January 2011, the Department of Culture and the Administration of Cultural Relics of Jiangxi Province awarded the honorary title of “Advanced Collective in Provincial Museum Construction Quality Year.” On July 1, the Eight Great Mountains Man Memorial Hall opened to the public free of charge. In August, a donation ceremony for calligraphy and paintings was held at the Peng Youshan Art Museum. The cultural and creative products received an Excellence Award at the first Provincial Museum Cultural Products Exhibition Fair. In November, the internal academic journal “Research on the Eight Great Mountains Man” was published. Comrade Wu Guanzheng (former member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection) visited the museum for an inspection.
In November 2012, the Peng Youshan Art Museum was completed and opened, affiliated with the Eight Great Masters Memorial Hall.
In 2013, the “Collection of Masterpieces by Bada Shanren—Calligraphy and Painting” was published, and porcelain panel paintings featuring works by Bada Shanren were released.
In 2014, the exhibition at the Eight Great Mountains Man Memorial Hall was upgraded and renovated; the website for the Eight Great Mountains Man Memorial Hall was completed. Comrade Jia Qinglin (former member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference) visited the hall for an inspection.
In 2015, the album "Collection of Masterpieces by Bada Shanren" was published in Xuan paper edition.
In 2016, the cultural relics census was completed. At the 2016 Art Jiangxi International Expo—Sub-exhibition Venue, the Ba Da Shan Ren Memorial Hall hosted a special exhibition of authentic works from its collection to commemorate the 390th anniversary of Ba Da Shan Ren’s birth.
In 2017, the lightning protection project for the ancient buildings in Qingyunpu was completed.
In 2018, we hosted the “Exhibition Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Reform and Opening-up: Inheriting the Legacy through Calligraphy and Painting—A Collaborative Exchange Exhibition Featuring Masterpieces from the Collections of Eight Major Museums.” Mr. Jack Ma (then Chairman of the Board of Alibaba Group) visited the museum.
In April 2019, the exhibition “Chest-High Mountains and Valleys—A Natural Masterpiece: A Donation Exhibition by Qi Bolin” was held; the institution was recognized as a Civilized Unit in Jiangxi Province.
In July 2019, the exhibition “Recreating the Splendor of Master Bada Shanren: A Selection of His Calligraphy and Paintings” was held at the China Cultural Center in Tokyo, Japan.
In September 2019, the special exhibition “Looking Back and Carrying Forward—The 60th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Bada Shanren Memorial Hall and the Palace Museum’s Collection” was held.
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