Art is always affected by the culture in which it was created.

Hong Yi was a master painter, musician, dramatist, calligrapher, seal cutter, poet, and Buddhist monk. His calligraphy version of the "Xin Jing" is greatly beloved by all.

"Farewell" or "Songbie" was composed by Master Hong Yi. This song reflects the vicissitudes of Master Hong Yi's life. More importantly it talks about parting, something Master Hong Yi has experienced numerous times through out his days.

Master Hong Yi grew up in a wealthy and prosperous family. He had everything he could possibly need. Why would he ever want to leave?

In our lives we experience pain and sorrow, Master Hong Yi is no different. One of the most painful experiences he went through was loosing his mother.

When he was in Japan Master Hong Yi came in touch with Western art, which lead him to start his magazine. It was through magazines that he first heard of fasting.

Through fasting Master Hong Yi began to adjust his lifestyle and mindset to fit that of a monk. Afterwards he shaved his head and formally became a monk.

When Master Hong Yi left to become a monk everyone was shocked. Even his wife and kids didn't understand.

The transitions in Master Hong Yi's life happened naturally and are connected to his growth as an individual. Some wonder whether or not in his decision to become a monk he abandoned this world.

After becoming a monk Master Hong Yi deepened his study of Buddhism. The Buddhism value, love is compassion, became a part of his doctrine.

We are constantly saying goodbye to our friends, to our family, to our past selves. Master Hong Yi is no different. These goodbyes became an inspiration for his song, "Farewell".

This video explains the arduous process that Zheng Banqiao had to go through to become a county level official.

Zheng Banqiao faces the reality that becoming an official wasn't at all what he expected. His colleagues don't consider the plight of the people the way he does, and upon being ousted from officialdom, he criticizes his former colleagues.

Our Hostess shows that Zheng Biaoyan, although toughened by years of working as an official, was still that innocent young man with a strong sense of justice underneath. He came to reveal his true nature through his artwork.

Our hostess gives us an analysis of Zheng Banqiao's paintings. Bamboo come to represent Zheng Banqiao as a man of virtue.

After Zheng Banqiao's big revelation, his days are numbered. He can't continue living in the Qing dynasty era of corruption and he eventually dies of sickness.

We analyze Zheng Banqiao's final painting. It's a depiction of bamboo being blown in the wind. It becomes a symbol of resistance against an unjust tide.

The director of a Xiamen antique store, The Goodone, has collected and preserved the flower tiles of the the city's old roads hoping one day they can be re-purposed into the design of the city.

In his effort to preserve the history of his city the director overcame many difficulties. In the end, it simply came down to his drive to preserve the past and love for sharing history with others, that lead him to persevere.

This episodes is a continuation of our Art series! We will be talking about Chinese sculpture in the next few videos. Sculpture in China has a long history and even predates most Western sculpture.

In the chaos and instability during Wei, Jin, and North-South dynasties people looked for hope and relief everywhere. When you have nothing how can you still have hope?

How and why did does an icon of Buddha stop refugees in their tracks? Is is because of the religious symbolism behind the icon or is there more to this classic, ethereal icon?

Let's compare the Beiqi Buddha to that of the Northern Wei! Who knew Buddha icons could represent the same ideology yet be so different visually. Take a look for yourself.