Dr. SY Chew’s rendering of Huangshan (above) reminds me of my 2012 visit. Yes, Huangshan (UNESCO heritage site) is one of China’s “must-see” places. The mountain scenery has inspired countless poets, artists, and photographers. Millions have been there, including well-known leaders such as Deng Xiaopeng (who encouraged the promotion of the iconic mountain as a tourist destination.)
Professors in their careers will often have fellowship requests from abroad. These are opportunities for candidates to learn from the professors’ research projects or learn advanced practical skills. In 2012, the Anhui Province Radiological Society invited me to speak at their annual meeting. The invitation was issued through my fellow Dr. Ding Zhongxiang, a native of Anhui Province and now a fully-fledged professor at Zhejiang University, one of the top universities in China.
Huangshan is in Anhui Province, and Dr. Ding made a special effort to be my tourist guide, a perk often enjoyed by helping a young talent grow. The scenery is truly remarkable, just as they appear in paintings and photographs seen in galleries and tourist brochures. The joy of being in China is why I keep up with my study of the Chinese language, culture, and socio-political developments.
Back to Dr. Chew’s painting, where she also painted a famous couplet (对联, a unique form of two-lined poetry), “大地歌唤彩云, “满园春关不住.” The first line can be translated as “the earth (mountain) sings to the clouds.” Indeed, the combination of the clouds and mountains makes the scenery captivating and extraordinary.
In China, I could see and understand the term 云海 (sea of clouds means). We are all familiar with a bird’s eye view of the sea – a sea filled with blue water. In the mountains of China, we see a sea of white clouds coming and going as the wind blows. One moment, we have the clouds above us; the next moment, we are inseparable from the clouds; and the next, the clouds appear like a sea below us.
Ten years later, I still look back with nostalgia, fond memories as an academic, the good time I had with my fellow, and the very satisfying experience. And thank you, Dr. SY Chew, for triggering off the journey down the memory lane!
Vince
Dr Vincent Chong is a retired Professor of Radiology at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.
