In the early morning, the beautiful Feng Jicai Institute of Literature and Art (the Institute) is tranquil and quiet. The Chengxin Pool of the Institute is shimmering in the gentle morning light.
When the sun shines on the corner of the Institute, you can see a “star apartment” to be put into use soon.
Professor Feng Jicai, a famous Chinese author, artist and cultural scholar, has built a villa as the winter house for the new member of the Institute—the “Swans”, who are the animal stars at Tianjin University.
The star apartment was elaborately designed by Professor Feng himself with his hand-drawn construction drawings, which is really a “blockbuster”.
The luxurious villa has drawn a lot of attention from students, who have come to take a visit and take first-hand pictures.
Some students took a photo of the precious manuscript and were deeply fascinated by it.
Every detail such as front structure, side structure, and plate thickness, was marked elaborately. The popular swan was sketched in just a few strokes, vividly and lovely. When a student from the School of Architecture saw this manuscript, he excitedly expressed: “Leave the construction to me! How I hope that I could have an opportunity to build the apartment for the swan according to Professor Feng’s sketch.”
Students saw the drawings, and asked: "Why is the door numbered 3?"
The teachers from the Institute paid considerable attention to this question, and made a special consultation with Mr. Feng.
Mr. Feng replied: “The No.1 residents are the koi fish, and the No.2 resident is the little turtle, so the swans are the No.3 resident of the Chengxin Pool.”
Getting such a warm reply, the students said that they felt really fortunate to be a member of the Institute. When they were young, they learned from Mr. Feng’s literaturethe Pearl Bird in the textbook. Now they grow up, they could share the concern and care from Mr. Feng together with the swans. Some students humorously said that Mr. Feng is not only a leader in the protection of non-material culture, but also a very considerate gentleman in the Institute.
"Inviting Nature into the Campus" is a humanistic pursuit of Professor Feng Jicai. The red leaf wall of more than 1300 square meters in the Institute is the most representative display of natural beauty. The green ivy is gradually tinged with autumn red. Gentle wind blowing, patches of red leaves floating into the Chengxin Pool, contrasting pleasantly with the green water and the colorful koi to enhance each other’s beauty. Professor Feng poetically compares the tripping red leaves to “the postcard of autumn”.
The "Red Leaf Festival" with series of cultural activities at Tianjin University started in 2019, which has gone through three years now. In every mid-autumn, students from different schools on campus will come to the Institute to enjoy the beauty, take pictures and have fun with various interesting cultural activities. "Red Leaf Festival" has become an autumn cultural brand of Tianjin University. The fourth “Red Leaf Festival” is around the corner. A variety of attractive activities will be held, including “poetry and music salon”, “letters for your future self”, as well as interactive sections like photo shooting, red leaf rubbing paintings and sketching. Welcome to join us and enjoy the gift from autumn!
By Chu Jingyi
Editor: Sun Xiaofang
