Wang Zengqi Memorial Hall: Life of Grass and Trees

2025-05-16

Master Wang Zengqi completed his life journey at 10:30 am on May 16th, 1997. He passed away at Beijing Friendship Hospital due to gastrointestinal bleeding caused by cirrhosis of the liver

The hall echoed with the music of Saint-Saens' "The Swan". Before leaving, Wang Zengqi was dressed in a suit, his expression as tranquil as his writings. White silk covered him, and flowers were scattered over his body. By his bedside was a collection of his own works. Around him were flower wreaths sent by people from all walks of life. Above his head was a familiar photo: him, leisurely and peacefully smoking a cigarette, smiling. It seemed as if people could hear him saying:“My simple belief in life is that mankind is hopeful and China will get better. My works are not tragedies. What I pursue is not depth, but harmony.”Looking at the photo of this kind and lovely writer, people could no longer control their emotions, tears welling up in their eyes, thinking of the many moving works he had written in his lifetime.On the day of Wang Zengqi's death, a journalist, feeling nervous, interviewed Ms. Zhang Zhaoheng, the wife of Mr. Shen Congwen, who was also the aunt of Wang Zengqi, by phone. The old man's voice was choked with emotion as he said:“I am very sad…like this‘write with the inspiration of a god’type of person is already very rare, this generation is already very rare…I am really very sad…”

After learning of Wang Zengqi's death, the People's Government of Gaoyou City immediately sent representatives to Babaoshan in Beijing to see him off. Since then, the locals have been considering how to commemorate this outstanding writer who loved his hometown immensely and achieved great success in literary creation. After multiple studies and extensive solicitation of opinions, the Municipal People's Government has decided to establish the Wang Zengqi Literature Museum within the local * * * cultural and tourism platform.

After the news was spread, it caused strong reactions in society. Prior to this, the local cultural propaganda department compiled and printed Wang Zengqi's works set in his hometown into a book titled "Dreaming of Hometown", which was listed as a local teaching material for young people in the city. After reading Grandpa Wang's works, many teenagers have been inspired to have a stronger passion for loving their country and hometown, and their longing for Grandpa Wang has also increased. They spontaneously donated their pocket money to shape a bronze statue of Grandpa Wang and placed it in the literary museum. Many well-known domestic writers have heard about the construction of the Wang Zengqi Literature Museum, and have sent letters and called to express their concern and support. They have also enthusiastically inscribed words to express their admiration for Wang Zengqi's character and literary quality.

Wang Meng's inscription is:

Innocent and timeless, free and graceful.

The inscription by Lin Jinlan is:

I'll go my own way, mixing scallions with tofu. It's like a stroke of genius.

Ye Xin's inscription is:

Meanings are timeless, and literary thoughts are profound.

The inscription of Shao Yanxiang is:

The shadows of willows and sails faintly enter a dream, while the smoke from the hot soil and cooking lingers in the text.

In his letter, Jia Pingwa said, "I am so happy to know that Gaoyou has established the Wang Zengqi Literature Museum! Wang Zengqi is a person who should build a temple and a monument." With deep respect, he referred to Wang Zengqi as the "holy hand of literature" in his inscription!

After intense construction, the Wang Zengqi Literature Museum was completed in the late autumn of 2000 and a grand opening ceremony was scheduled for the morning of December 20, 2000. Early this morning, the people of Gaoyou crowded towards the Wenyou Terrace like they were rushing to a temple fair. More than 30 young and middle-aged writers from the Jiangsu Writers Association, including Zhao Benfu, Huang Beijia, Fan Xiaoqing, Su Tong, and Ye Zhaoyan, were invited to participate in this event. People are delighted to see that a beautiful scenery has been added to the ancient cultural tourism platform.

The Wang Zengqi Literature Museum is a common ancient residential form in Lixiahe, with blue bricks and black tiles, generous and simple, just like the style of Wang Zengqi's works. Entering the room, the first thing I saw was a half body bronze statue of Wang Zengqi, with a kind and peaceful expression, smiling at every visitor. There are a large number of textual and visual materials, as well as works and manuscripts by Wang Zengqi in the museum. These physical objects complement the inscriptions and characters of many celebrities, silently and moving the story of this beloved and respected excellent writer's creative career.

Just as the opening ceremony of Wang Zengqi Literature Museum was about to take place, snowflakes suddenly fell from the sky. Oh, this is the * * * snow since the beginning of winter, the auspicious snow that heralds a bountiful year! She came so suddenly and so timely! Those familiar with Wang Zengqi's works know that this writer, who has been longing for his beloved hometown for a lifetime, wrote a lot of nostalgic works about his hometown before his death. In his article "The Food of My Hometown," he wrote with deep affection, "I really want to drink a bowl of pickled vegetable soup. I miss the snow of my hometown

People kept rushing towards the Wang Zengqi Literature Museum from all directions, and the snowflakes seemed to understand people's intentions, falling more and more densely. In a blink of an eye, pure white snow covered the ancient cultural tourism platform built during the Northern Song Dynasty and with a history of over 1000 years, as well as the newly built Wang Zengqi Literature Museum. The fluttering snowflakes fell on the hair and body of everyone attending the opening ceremony, sweet and wet, and no one could bear to brush them off. Looking at the countless snowflake elves dancing in the sky, many people's eyes became moist and they thought to themselves, 'Wang Zengqi must know from heaven. He is driving snowflakes to watch his fellow villagers come.'.