An exhibition showcasing the calligraphy, paintings, and antiques of the Wumen literati from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was unveiled on August 28, 2024, and will run through November 3, 2024, at Shenzhen’s He Xiangning Art Museum.

Titled The Memories of Jiangnan, the event offers an opportunity to explore the life aesthetics of the Wumen through 66 pieces of paintings and calligraphy, along with 20 stationary objects.

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The Wu style, a local painting tradition of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), centered around Suzhou, also known as Wumen. Dong Qichang, Chen Jiru, Zhou Tianqiu, Mo Shilong, Li Rihua, Xiang Shengmo, Bian Wenyu, Zhang Fu, among others, are pioneering painters of this school. 

“The 'shining stars' of Wumen not only inherited the art and culture from the Song and Yuan dynasties but also influenced our daily lives. Their spiritual bent and material observations form a cultural legacy that continues to be relevant today,” said Cai Xianliang, the director of He Xiangning Art Museum.

The region of Jiangnan, defined as the area surrounding Taihu Lake and including Suzhou in East China's Jiangsu province, has been a hub of literati, scholars, and artists since the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), for its scenery and cultural heritage, as noted in a preface released by the museum.

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Much of Chinese literature has shown that people often use poetry to depict the so-called “Jiangnan cultural phenomenon”. An English translation of Remembrance of Jiangnan by Bai Juyi, a Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet, was released by the event organizers. It reads: “Fair southern shore, with scenes I adore. At sunrise, riverside flowers are redder than fire; in spring, green waves grow as blue as sapphire, which I can’t but admire.”

The exhibition was co-organized with the Guangdong Museum, Guangzhou Museum of Art, Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Suzhou Museum, Anhui Museum, Jilin Provincial Museum, and Wujiang Museum.