Painting is not only about colors and brushes. During the process, I often encounter small but vivid stories, filled with the life and spirit of the people and places I observe. They are so interesting that I want to record them, so that the joy and meaning of painting can be remembered beyond the canvas.
绘画不仅是色彩与笔触的表达，在创作过程中，我常常遇到一些生动有趣的小故事，承载着人物与地方的生命气息。这些片段让我觉得珍贵，值得记录下来，让绘画的乐趣与意义超越画布本身而被铭记。
Nepalese Man
In February 2013, my daughter in the U.S. called late at night, urging me to submit to the National Watercolor Society All Member Exhibition. Though hesitant, I sent my new work Nepalese Man, covering shipping and entry costs.
A month later, she told me the piece was accepted—out of over two thousand entries, only 93 were chosen. Another month passed, and she called again: I had not just placed but won First Place. Seeing the painting featured on the NWS website confirmed the news.
Afterwards, Nepalese Man toured six U.S. cities and drew much attention, greatly boosting my confidence. Since then, I have received more international awards, including the NWS Masters Award, and became a Signature Member of both NWS and AWS.
尼泊尔男人
2013年2月，居住在美国的女儿深夜来电，告诉我美国全国水彩画协会（NWS）会员展正在征稿，鼓励我尝试投稿。我犹豫再三，还是寄出了新作《尼泊尔男人》，支付了邮寄、装框和评审费。
一个月后，女儿兴奋地告诉我作品入选了，这让我十分意外。据说当年有两千余份投稿，只有93件作品被选中，我很幸运。又过一个月，女儿再次来电，告诉我得奖了。我以为是优秀奖，结果竟然是第一名。看到作品登上NWS网站封面，我才相信这一切。
此后，《尼泊尔男人》随展览在美国六个城市巡展一年，引起广泛关注，也极大增强了我的自信。之后我接连获得国际大奖，并成为NWS和AWS的署名会员。
Horse Caravan
Yunnan lies on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau with steep mountains. For centuries, people relied on horse caravans to transport goods. Life was lonely and harsh: drinking from mountain springs, cooking by roadside fires, and sleeping beside bonfires with their mules. Rainy nights were the hardest. Today, with better roads, the once-familiar sound of caravan bells has nearly vanished.
云南地处云贵高原，山高坡陡。大山深处的人们长期依靠“马帮”运送农产品及生活物资。赶马人的生活孤寂艰辛：渴了饮山泉，饿了生火煮饭或啃干粮，夜晚就着篝火与骡马相伴。最怕遇上雨天，风餐露宿尤为艰苦。如今道路大大改善，往昔山谷里“叮咚驼铃”的景象已难再见。
Morning Mist
Through the dense fog of Ailao Mountain, two buffaloes appear, followed by a Hani woman heading to her fields. With wisdom and diligence passed down through generations, the Hani created the breathtaking “Hani Terraces,” cascading in over 3,000 levels along the ridges—now inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
哀牢山的晨雾中，一大一小两头水牛缓缓走来，随行的是前往田间劳作的哈尼族妇女。凭借世代的智慧与勤劳，哈尼族创造了壮丽的“哈尼梯田”，顺山脊层层盘绕，达三千级，如今已列入世界文化遗产。
Wanzi Bridge in Lijiang
Along the Yushui River in Lijiang’s old town stands the Wanzi Bridge. Built in the Ming Dynasty by a wealthy merchant named Yang, it was dedicated in hope of blessings and many descendants. Though over 700 years old, the bridge remains strong today.
丽江古城玉水河畔有一座“万子桥”。相传建于明代，由一位久未得子的富商杨姓人家捐资修建，以修桥积德，祈愿子孙满堂，因而得名。历经七百余年风雨，至今依旧坚固。
Afternoon Poker
In a small eastern Yunnan town, several elderly men enjoy a game of poker under the warm afternoon sun. Among them are a retired principal, a mine owner, a truck driver, and a grocer.
云南东部小镇的午后，几位老人悠闲地在阳光下打牌：有退休校长、矿主、卡车司机和杂货店店主。
The Man from Ailao Mountain I
This Miao man with a mustache no longer wears his traditional attire, preferring Han clothing instead. Today, among Yunnan’s 25 ethnic minorities, mostly women still keep their native dress, while men generally wear Han styles. In another two decades, such traditional garments may become rare sights.
这位留着络腮胡的苗族男子已不再穿民族服装，而改穿汉装。他觉得更合适。如今云南25个少数民族中，仅部分妇女还穿本民族服饰，男子几乎都改穿汉装。再过二十年，恐怕更难见到传统服饰。
Three Generations
A young boy returns from school and finds his 86-year-old grandmother chatting with a neighbor. Her feet, only three inches long, were bound tightly in childhood, deforming them into the so-called “three-inch golden lotus.” In the past, small feet were considered a symbol of beauty and wealth. Foot binding began in the Han Dynasty and was abolished after the 1911 Revolution. In remote Yunnan, a few elderly women with bound feet can still be seen.
小孙子放学回家，见86岁的祖母与邻居聊天。阳光下，祖母的小脚仅三寸长——孩提时被布条紧紧缠裹而严重变形，穿上玩具般的小鞋，被称为“三寸金莲”。过去不裹脚难以嫁得好人家，脚越小，越显富贵地位。缠足始于汉朝，直至辛亥革命才废止。云南因偏僻闭塞，偶尔仍能见到缠足的高龄老太。
The Man from Ailao Mountain III
Ailao Mountain, rising 2,000–3,000 meters, marks the boundary between the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and Hengduan Mountains. It is home to the Hani, Yi, Miao, Dai, Zhuang, and Yao peoples, who still live simply with traditional work routines, their faces often lit with peaceful, contented smiles.
哀牢山是云贵高原与横断山脉的分界，海拔2000—3000米，绵延千余公里，世居哈尼、彝、苗、傣、壮、瑶等民族。至今他们依然保持传统劳作，生活朴实自然，脸上常挂着宁静满足的笑容。
Sewing
In the Ailao Mountains near Vietnam, Yi women are rarely without their needlework. Skillful and patient, they embroider vivid patterns of flowers, birds, insects, and fish onto their clothes. Here, one woman works on a delicate lace cuff for herself.
靠近越南的哀牢山区，彝族妇女总是手不离针线。她们心灵手巧，将花鸟虫鱼绣进衣裳，精美生动。此刻，她正为自己绣一条袖口花边。
The Man from Ailao Mountain IV
This old man of the Yi ethnicity has become a grandfather. He is very cheerful and enthusiastic. To welcome us as guests from outside the mountains, he wore a felt hat he rarely uses and a pink close-fitting shirt stitched by his wife many years ago. Though the sleeves were a little short, he looked handsome overall.
哀牢山汉子 之四
这位已经当了爷爷的彝族老汉十分开朗热情。看到山外来的客人，他特意戴上平日少戴的毡帽，并穿上多年以前妻子亲手缝制的粉红色贴身衬衣。虽然袖子短了一些，但整体看起来依旧精神帅气。
Silver Jug
Early morning in Kathmandu, a woman returned from a well next to the temple. Though she had a well in her courtyard, she firmly believed only the temple water was holy and clean enough for cooking and drinking. Every morning, the temple well is crowded with people fetching water, a way to pray and receive blessings from the deities.
银水罐
加德满都的清晨，一位妇女从神庙旁边的水井取水回来。尽管家里院子也有水井，但她坚信只有神庙的水才是圣洁干净的，才能用来做饭和饮用。每天清晨，神庙旁的水井边总是挤满取水的人们，这是他们祈求神灵护佑的方式。
The Summer Solstice
Summer is here, and a lovely buffalo soaks comfortably in the pond. Its bright eyes seem to say: “I am young and strong. Treat me well, and I will bring you a happy life.” Since ancient times, China has been an agricultural country, where almost every household raised cattle. They plowed fields, pulled carts, carried loads, and did the heaviest labor, becoming indispensable family members and a vital force in the splendid farming civilization.
夏至
夏天到了，一头可爱的水牛惬意地泡在池塘里，眼神仿佛在说：“我年轻、强壮，只要你善待我，我会让你过上幸福的生活。” 中国自古是农耕国家，村里几乎家家养牛。耕田拉车、负重劳作，牛承担最繁重的工作，是家庭的重要成员，也是农耕文明的重要生产力。
Look at the Plane
On a market day in a mountain village, several elderly women chatted after selling the farm products they carried from home. Suddenly, a silver plane roared overhead. The old lady in the middle said: “That is the plane my grandson takes to university. Perhaps he is sitting on that very plane now.”
看飞机
山区的集市日，几位老姐妹卖完背来的农副产品后正闲聊。忽然，一阵轰鸣声传来，一架银色飞机掠过。坐在中间的老太太说：“那就是我孙子坐去外地上大学的飞机，说不定他就在这架飞机上呢。”
Hookah and Clay Pot
A man selling clay pots came early to the market. Leisurely, he smoked a hookah while waiting for customers to buy his handmade pots. The hookah is a traditional Yunnan smoking appliance: a bamboo tube about 80 cm long, half-filled with water. Smoke passes through the water via a slanted mouthpiece and is inhaled by the smoker. It is said to filter nicotine and carry bamboo’s fragrance. This eco-friendly, low-cost lifestyle has existed for thousands of years.
水烟筒和陶罐
一位卖陶罐的男人早早来到集市，悠闲地吸着水烟筒，等待顾客购买他亲手烧制的陶罐。水烟筒是云南特有的民间吸烟器具：八十公分长的竹筒，下半截盛水，烟雾通过斜插的烟嘴进入水中，再被吸入口中。据说能过滤尼古丁，还带有竹子的清香。这种生态环保又廉价的生活方式，已有上千年历史。
After School
Some Hani children, just finished with school, walked along the uneven alleys of their village. In their bamboo baskets were textbooks and supplies. On the mottled wall behind them, faint chalk characters read: “What is the greatest deprivation? To have open eyes yet remain blind to words.” This shows how ethnic minorities in remote mountains value education—believing that without literacy, one is blind in mind.
放学
几个哈尼族孩子放学后走在寨子高低不平的小巷里。竹背篓里装着课本和学习用品。背后斑驳的土墙上，用白石灰写着一行大字：“天下什么人最苦，天下睁眼瞎最苦。” 由此可见，边远山区的少数民族历来重视对子女的启蒙教育，在他们看来，没有文化的人就是精神上的盲人。
The Duel
Each year on June 24th of the lunar calendar, the Yi people celebrate the Torch Festival. Dressed in their best clothes, villagers gather for wrestling and bullfighting contests. At night, they hold torches and dance until dawn, praying for good weather and prosperity.
The bullfight is the most spectacular. Unlike Spanish or French bullfighting, here it is bull against bull, relying purely on strength. With bloodshot eyes, the Ang family’s yellow ox and the Zhao family’s blue ox clash fiercely, muscles trembling as hooves kick up dust. Amid thunderous cheers, the defeated bull is led away while the winner is draped in a red cloth and paraded proudly around the arena.
拼
每年农历六月二十四日是彝族的“火把节”。这一天，男女老少都穿上盛装，汇集到摔跤场，举行摔跤和斗牛比赛。夜晚，人们举着火把，通宵歌舞，祈求风调雨顺、六畜兴旺。
其中的斗牛最为壮观。不同于西班牙、法国的斗牛，这里是牛与牛的较量，全凭力量。昂家的黄牛与赵家的青牛血眼怒视，肌肉颤抖，猛烈相撞。尘土飞扬间你来我往，伴随数千观众的呐喊。落败的牛被牵出场外，获胜者披上红布，绕场一周，场面蔚为壮观。
The Pond Beside the Stockaded Village
The Stone Forest in Yunnan is the essence of world-famous karst landforms and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The local Sani people cannot use large machines in their rocky fields, so each family raises cows or buffalo for plowing. Every village has a natural pond for washing and drinking.
At sunset, after a day’s hard work, people and cattle come to the pond. Golden light reflects on them, with red earth houses and rammed walls glowing in the distance—a truly beautiful scene.
寨子边的水塘
云南石林是世界著名的喀斯特地貌，被誉为“天下第一奇观”，已列入世界文化遗产。居住在周边的撒尼人因土地遍布石笋石柱，大型机械无法使用，因此家家饲养黄牛或水牛犁田。每个寨子旁都有天然水塘，供洗衣饮用。
夕阳下，人和牛结束一天劳作来到水塘边，金色的阳光映照着他们，远处的红土地与夯土墙同样泛着金光，色彩极为动人。
Looking for a Crack
In Yunnan’s rural markets, a stall always sells clay jars: long-necked ones for wine, double-mouth ones for sauerkraut, single-mouth ones for pickles, small ones for roasting tea or holding medicine, and oil lamps. A woman carefully inspects a double-mouth jar against the sunlight. If there are cracks or sand holes, the food stored will spoil. She is checking for an air leak.
找裂缝
云南乡村集市上，总有卖坛坛罐罐的摊位：小口长颈的是装酒的，双层口装腌菜，单层口腌泡菜，拳头大小的用来烤茶、煨药或点油灯。妇女把一个双层口罐对着阳光细看，如果有裂缝或砂眼，腌制食品就会“跑气”变质。
Jie Mu A Niu
In the Xiaoliang Mountain area of western Yunnan, Yi families have lived for generations in wooden houses, warm in winter and cool in summer. This girl, Jie Mu A Niu, is 15. Each day she herds dozens of sheep to graze until late evening. She has never attended school, but she can play the Jew’s harp beautifully.
杰木阿牛
在云南西部的小凉山区，彝族世居木垛房，冬暖夏凉。这位15岁的女孩名叫杰木阿牛，每天要赶几十只羊上山吃草，很晚才回家。她没读过书，但能吹出优美动听的口弦曲。
