Watching clouds in Yunnan

Look at the clouds in Yunnan. This article was written by Shen Congwen, and I extracted it. Let's have a look at your work.

Yunnan is named after clouds. However, after staying in Yunnan for a year and a half, mainlanders will definitely be similar to locals. For the clouds in Yunnan, we will never simply appreciate its beauty except for the changes of sunny and rainy days. After seeing Mr. Lu Xilin's photographic works, many people will wake up again and realize that they were born or lived in Yunnan. One of the characteristics of Yunnan is the amazing changes of clouds in the sky. Especially at night, the color, shape and expression of clouds are really touching. The war has taught many people about life. They have walked many roads, crossed many bridges and slept in many beds. Besides, they must have suffered many unimaginable hardships. However, what is really instructive may be that many places have their own weather, and different weather affects a little people. Clouds are local: the clouds in the north of China are very thick, and people are also very thick. The clouds in the south are lively, and so are people. The clouds on the seashore are fantastic, and the clouds in Bohai Sea and South China Sea are different, just like the temperament of the two coasts is different. The clouds in Henan are yellow, and it seems that they can be used as steamed buns. Clouds are thick and thin, while people are thick and thin. The clouds in Hunan are gray, hanging in the sky for many years, and have no character at all. But this place is rich in oranges and peppers, which have matured in this weather, but it has increased the pioneering spirit of Hunan people. Although the clouds in Sichuan are similar to those in Hunan, they are not the same. Mount Emei in the martial arts divides and thickens the clouds. Clouds have life and people have life.

On the richness of colors, the clouds on the sea in Qingdao should be second to none. Sometimes the five colors are different and ever-changing, and the sky is like a tapestry. Sometimes it is pure, the sky is only a piece of green jade, and there is nothing else. It seems that people can feel a touch of pleasure, tenderness, music and lust. Most of the year, the sky is a magical picture, with the breath of youth, stirring people's fantasies and dreams. A mirage appears in this kind of sky. Mirage will not always be in people's eyes, but will always be in people's hearts. Qin Huang Hanwu's career also ended in a dream of eternal youth, which makes sense. Clouds in Yunnan give people a very different impression. It is characterized by simplicity, and it should be sincere and simple when it affects people's temperament. The clouds in Yunnan seem to be formed by the snow and ice in the mountainous areas of Tibet and the long-term hot air from the South China Sea through magical procedures. Their colors are surprisingly simple, but simplicity shows greatness. Especially around the mysterious dusk, the scenery is very moving. It's entirely ink painting, with a bold style. Sometimes a corner of the sky is as black as a picture. Although its color is unusually black, it feels very light. In any place, the "dark clouds cover the top" is a heavy and terrible symbol as usual. Only the dark clouds in Yunnan at night, the darker it is, the less it will get in the way, which also means that the weather will be fine the next day. A few years ago, when China antiquities were transported to London for exhibition, there was a piece of paper written by Zhao, named "Qiu Jiang Butterfly Clothes", which was smeared on the paper in the museum with thick ink. It was as clean as jade, but it gave people a beautiful impression. The clouds in Yunnan are the same, it seems that they only feel black and beautiful.

? However, if we go to a mountain in the suburbs around dusk, or take a boat in Dianchi Lake and see this cloud, we will bow our heads and sigh gently. Specifically, there will be a feeling of "great rivers and mountains", and abstractly, there will be a feeling of "the deceased is so". I must feel some pain in my heart, suffering from a quiet black cloud in the sky. Because this thing gives us a silent teaching, which is much more brilliant, profound and beautiful than the articles of political commentators, propagandists and satirical articles of miscellaneous families. Maybe that's why I feel pain. Such a beautiful cloud has given birth to people who make a living in this world. What are they? Is it a profound and broad life thought? Or is it a simple and beautiful poetry? If compared with what I saw, heard and everything on the spot, it really makes people feel miserable!

In this beautiful sky, in terms of personnel, what we can see every day is nothing more than empty papers, unreasonable speeches and small mixed feelings. In addition, it seems that we only encounter "legal tender" everywhere. Businessmen and bankers are directly busy with legal tender. The saddest phenomenon is that no business school is too big. When signing up for class, the number of people will be the largest as usual. These people study economics and accounting, so they have no lofty ideals for life, and their purpose is just to work in a bank after graduation. "Bustling, all for the benefit, all for the benefit, all for the benefit, where is the benefit, if the cluster is a maggot." An expert from the Institute of Social Studies ran to the bank as soon as he had the chance. Those who study library, archaeology and foreign literature all squeeze into banks or similar financial institutions as clerks because of the opportunities of relatives, friends and fellow villagers. Most excellent brains are confused by real fiat money and abstract fiat money, lose their sensitivity and flexibility, and have a higher understanding of "life". What the rest of those ignorant brains will do all day can be imagined. Even if the clouds in Yunnan are beautiful, they are meaningless to most people.

? In the past two months, with the continuous alarm in this city, all 200,000 citizens in the city went to the suburbs early and put a neck in the sky. Everyone didn't see a few floating clouds floating in the sky, but looking up at the results only increased many people's worries about the gain and loss of wealth. "My legal tender has gone down", "My gasoline has gone up", "My career made 500,000 yuan this year" and "I earned 83,000 yuan from the government", all of which were mentioned by only a dozen acquaintances. In addition, there may be a group of professors who have no other entertainment except playing cards all day. They will think of the winning or losing of sparrow cards the night before and sarcastically say to themselves, "I don't care about losing cards." Of course, this kind of professor is unreasonable. After the alarm is lifted, you might as well go to your old classmate's residence for eight more laps to prove what you lost. If a person is willing to climb underground, thinking that this is the best posture for survival, others will persuade him to stand up and walk, or expect him to stand up and be an individual, of course, there will be no result.

? In such a society and situation, Mr. Lu came to show his photos in Yunnan and told us what else besides Yunnan legal tender. In other words, together with the clouds in the sky, the clouds with pure colors are so handsome, elegant, gentle and noble! The large audience and good comments just show that as long as someone can read the cloud, they will get a poetic interest and enthusiasm from the cloud, and this noble feeling is expected to be transferred to another person. In other words, even if the cloud in Yunnan cannot directly educate people, it is expected that an artist's heart and hands can indirectly educate people. Mr. Lu's interest in photography seems to be to introduce this beauty to most people, so the theme of cloud is handled particularly well in his works. Every cloud has different temperament and flowing beauty. Not refined, not artificial, not too embellished, natural, intimate and friendly. The success of this work is inevitable. But getting "praise" is not the ultimate goal of artists, it should have a deeper meaning. I mean, if a terrible realism prevails in organizations at all levels in this society, it will corrode the conscience and ideals of most of us, and at the same time make everyone tangible and intangible. What should we do as a nation when some outstanding elements in society dream and hope to just muddle along without higher emotions and lack the courage to pursue beautiful and great moral principles with such emotions? The purpose of college students' reading is either to stand in front of the counter as a clerk or to sit in the official residence as a clerk without thinking or thinking. As long as there is a bowl of rice to eat, there is a way out. Even those who make political comments, make speeches, write poor satirical articles, study science and engineering, play literature as cultural people, run a party, believe in religion, and ... their way out is only temporary. Of course, everyone has a way out. Is there any hope for the future of this country? If we can really observe the clouds in the sky and the beauty of the clouds in the sky like Mr. Lu, maybe we will gradually edify, enlighten and transform us, so that you can get used to staring at the future, not daring to fall, and not willing to fall. I thought this was the ultimate goal of an artist. It is precisely because this nation is striving for development and survival that it has fought for three years. Although the war was defeated, we were not discouraged. Although thousands of people have died and countless wealth have been sacrificed, we still insist on the war of resistance, just because there is a solemn and great ideal behind this war, which allows us to endure hardships under any circumstances. The reason why we can stand up is not only to develop and survive, but also to think for the latecomers, so that they can live better and be more human in this land! Our responsibility is so great and arduous that most intellectuals must have a relatively simple outlook on life. Even in business, they need a little knowledge to put the development of enterprises and the development of the country on the same goal and go hand in hand to achieve the same goal by different routes!

? Take a simple example: our eyes have noticed "outlet" and "making money". If we can still estimate how many clogs there are at the other end of the Yunnan-Vietnam railway, they will open their eyes and arrange all kinds of ingenious schemes, prepare to dump inferior goods to Kunming where force and weapons don't work, and assign the responsibility of selling inferior goods. You must choose the right position and the right angle to take pictures, and you can expect to achieve better results. Being a man is the same, knowing the difference, knowing the general idea, "doing something wrong." Although there are various enemies, in the eyes of experienced businessmen, inferior goods can always be seen, and it is extremely easy to choose between them. If you just want to get rich, forget about profits, and "do whatever you want", and Japanese goods will become domestic products, which will only be a backhand! The promotion of inferior goods is just one of several tangible events. Besides, what intellectuals at all levels have done is worse than this.

? So I think Mr. Lu's photography is not only for people to see, but also for people to think deeply.

? 1994, Kunming

(Originally published in Ta Kung Pao in February 1940+ 12)