Riding the wind of rebirth

These nine people were authorities in Beiping's cultural circles, and the "one Qian" refers to Qian Xuantong.

Master Ma already had Qian Xuantong's letters, and with the addition of these given to him by Zhou Zhi, a complete series was finished.

Actually, going against the grain isn't impossible, and it's even easier. Zhou Zhi only needs to get a letter from Qian Xuantong to complete this small category of collection. However, firstly, Zhou Zhi isn't very interested in this, and secondly, it's obviously more meaningful for someone from old Beijing to complete this category than for him to do it in Sichuan, thousands of miles away, and then display it to visitors at the foot of Jingshan Mountain.

Although it is a small private museum, the collection cannot be seen in a day. Only a few important items can be selected for further study. After the museum visit, Mr. Ma treated everyone to a meal at the China Club.

With the return of Hong Kong Island drawing ever closer, several large private clubs have now emerged in the capital.

Chang'an Club and China Club are two such examples. Both have extremely deep connections in Hong Kong Island, and important figures from Hong Kong Island often choose to stay at these two places when they come to Beijing.

Leaving aside the renowned Chang'an Club, which focuses on luxury, the China Club is much more low-key, but its location is not to be underestimated.

This place was originally the residence of the 24th son of Emperor Kangxi. It is a key cultural relic under national protection. It preserves the essence of traditional Chinese architecture, including antique courtyards, palace lanterns, old-fashioned tables, chairs, and beds. The lotus, willow, peach, and ginkgo trees in the courtyard create a mysterious and noble atmosphere amidst the residential buildings, combining traditional and natural elements.

This place was once a place where Sichuan cuisine chefs inherited and promoted their culinary skills. Many chefs used this platform to go abroad to serve as head chefs for embassies or consulates. After returning to China, they opened restaurants in various places or returned to Chengdu to train talents, which played an important role in the resurgence of Sichuan cuisine after the founding of the People's Republic of China and its formation as a major cuisine.

Last year, Hong Kong businessman Tang Wing-hang renovated this 400-year-old royal mansion and spent eight million US dollars to recover as many of the items that were lost from the mansion as possible, preserving its original rustic appearance.

Starting this year, we are accepting new members. The membership fee for permanent members is US$15000, with a monthly fee of US$100. The membership fee for non-resident members is US$7000 for overseas membership and US$5000 for local membership.

As the manager here explained, "Everything in our Chinese association is antique; only the people are new."

"Everyone benefited from the braised pork knuckle today," Master Ma laughed. "Without a resident member, you can't hold a banquet."

"It has nothing to do with me, it's all because of Sister Wanqiu's influence," Zhou Zhi said with a smile. "I didn't even know she booked this place for us."

This opening is very important to Master Ma, so tonight's banquet is also very important to him. He wants to find a good place in Beijing to entertain important guests, but several newly established "good places" simply won't accept guests without the status of a resident member.

Lin Wanqiu's identity no longer exists. She herself is a core figure in several major families on Hong Kong Island. Her father's side, mother's side, husband's family, and even herself are all influential figures on Hong Kong Island. Because of this influence, the Chang'an Club and the China Club attach great importance to her and invite her to serve as a director. Their purpose is, of course, to gain access to many Hong Kong connections through her.

Actually, it's quite simple for Zhou Zhi to become a member. His cousin Anxin is also a member, as are Li Lao Er and Li Lao San, who can all act as his introducers. However, he always feels like he's losing out. He has so many courtyard houses in Beijing that he can't even live in them all, so there's no need for him to spend so much money to live in the club.

He also disliked the atmosphere and layout of the Chang'an Club, but he felt quite comfortable at the China Club today. There were willow trees and a pond in the courtyard, and a huge ginkgo tree in the backyard. It must be very beautiful here in the golden autumn season.

The building is surrounded by red palace walls and a gatehouse with glazed tile roofs. The gatehouse itself is an original piece from the Kangxi era, representing the building's status as an "immovable cultural relic."

Following the old rules of traditional Beijing courtyard houses, the main gate here is usually closed. You need to show an invitation to the manager, who will lead you through a side gate, and then a designated person will guide you to your assigned room.

The complex comprises four open-air courtyards and lounge areas, covering a total area of ​​approximately 100,000 square meters. It includes a banquet hall that can accommodate 250 people, three main halls, seventeen private rooms, and a library-style bar where guests can enjoy cigars. It also features member suites, a member business center, and other facilities.

Zhou Zhi and his group arrived a little late; the Chinese Association's large red lanterns had already been lit, making the atmosphere even more antique.

Before everyone took their seats, the manager led them to a display case and introduced it to them: "This is a set of Mao porcelain with peach blossoms and water features, which Mr. Deng acquired at auction at a huge cost. It is known as 'New China's official kiln porcelain.' The tableware we use in China is also based on this Mao porcelain and is specially made from Jingdezhen. You will be able to experience it for yourselves during the meal."

Master Ma, Liu Zhengyun, and the others couldn't help but smile at Zhou Zhi. These people were all regulars at Demiantang and knew that this master had practically monopolized all the Mao porcelain. The porcelain currently circulating in the market mostly originated from him, and they were mostly individual pieces or small sets.

The real masterpiece is now housed at Demiantang. The manager is really showing off his skills in front of an expert.

Zhou Zhi quickly and discreetly waved his hand to signal everyone not to reveal themselves, and said with a smile: "Actually, the most difficult thing to identify in porcelain is the imitation of a recent one. Porcelain like the Eight Friends of Zhushan, with their distinctive personal styles and characteristics, is relatively easy to identify. However, porcelain made in a style similar to the 'Great Yun Porcelain' of Mao Zedong, which is also from a very recent period, is extremely difficult to identify."

"What's this 'Great Yun Porcelain' thing?" Liu Zhengyun, ever the curious child, asked, "Isn't it said that Mao's porcelain was equivalent to the imperial kilns? How did it become 'Great Yun'?"

“The porcelain produced by the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Factory for the imperial court was supplied in three main ways: large-scale transport, communal production, and tribute. Large-scale transport porcelain, as the name suggests, refers to porcelain transported in large quantities.”

"Judging from the actual firing situation, the imperial kilns fired porcelain according to the annual routine without the emperor issuing any additional decrees. The porcelain produced at the end of the year was reported to the Imperial Household Department and transported to the capital for storage in the imperial porcelain warehouse. This was the porcelain produced during the Great Transport period."

"These types of porcelain were mainly used by the emperor to reward his officials during various activities."

"The production of porcelain during the Great Yun period began in the Kangxi reign, but it was not until the Qianlong reign that a fixed style was established and production was carried out according to regulations. The style, color, and pattern of porcelain during the Great Yun period were basically fixed, and the variety of products produced matched the national strength. There were many varieties during the Qianlong reign, but the variety of products produced in subsequent reigns declined, and by the end of the Qing dynasty, only eight types of bottles were retained."

"The porcelain produced during the Great Yun period was characterized by consistent firing schedules over several years, resulting in uniform styles. There was little need for innovation, and the pieces looked quite similar after being fired for several dynasties. The emperor's personality and aesthetic preferences only had a subtle influence on the porcelain, which is why not only was there a large quantity of these pieces, but they were also almost all identical." (End of Chapter)