Whisper of Nature

AUTHOR_Yvonne Yu / Yan Lam

PHOTOS_COURTESY OF THE INTERVIEWEES

ILLUSTRATOR_Sandy Leong

British naturalist Gilbert White, writer of The Natural History of Selborne, a classic work based on his observations of birds, beasts, fish and insects during his rural life in the 18th century, has struck the human chord of sympathy for nature and humanistic care. In this issue, we will take nature writing as the theme. Several pieces of nature writing will be introduced to readers for them to understand from the delicate words the philosophies of equality and co-existence among all things in nature – flowers, plants, insects, birds, and you and me.

Grzylymg Haho

In the field of nature writing, there is a writer who “follows an unusual path”. He is Grzylymg Haho, a Mongolian writer with a rugged appearance whose words are meticulously delicate and who has won the Bing Xin Award, known as “the Chinese Seton”. In his writings, there are grasslands, forests, sheepdogs and coyotes, as well as the tightly bound fates of humans and animals, all enlivened by a concise and profound style.

Speaking of his hometown of Inner Mongolia, Haho, who now lives in the city of Hulunbuir, said, “I think the Hulunbuir Grasslands are the most beautiful grasslands in China, and probably in the world. Human beings are able to coexist in harmony with grasslands without damaging the nature. The most ideal state is sharing without damage.” When Haho was four years old, he was often sick and was later sent back to his familial hometown from the city where he was born. The four years of life he spent in the grasslands became a miniature of his works – a child galloping on a pony, followed by a sheepdog the size of a lion. “When the wind blows, the grass looks like a sea of waves,” he said, “but it’s rarely seen today.” If his creations originated from his childhood life, are they 100% records of life? “Not exactly,” said Haho. Novels are fabricated but details must be true. “In my creations, all animals exist in the real world,” he said. “The natural environment they inhabit must correspond to their natural qualities and behavior, which is the very basis of my novels … For example, when I was writing The Blood Horse, a novel about a Mongolian horse, it took me three years and a half to collect writing materials. I visited many wranglers in the grasslands and gave each of them a pair of riding boots. I even made friends with the online sellers of riding boots. I did all these things because I wanted to express my respect for these elder wranglers and my gratitude for the sharing of the their truest stories.” Unlike other fictitious “nature literature”, Haho’s creations are close to life.

Haho said his works are categorized as “children’s literature” in Mainland China but when translated into a foreign language, they are received as “nature literature”. In other words, they are suitable for both children and adults. “I like being a writer of children’s literature because adults are difficult to change,” he said. “I hope more children can read my works to feel the winds from the northern grasslands … Literary works can shape the spiritual qualities of children at certain ages. I am convinced that reading can change China.”

Jie Chen

Jie Chen is a “talented girl” popular in the city of Chengdu, who has published over 30 collections of works. Her prose collection The Bluish Violet Color, which gained popularity in 2014, was reprinted this April by the Sichuan People’s Publishing House. This “love letter to plants” once again came into the sight of readers.

“Except some minor revisions of words, the first and new editions differ first of all in illustrations,” Jie Chen explained. “The first edition uses European botanical illustrations of the 17th and 18th centuries, while the new one uses botanical illustrations by watercolor painter Yoli. The two types have their own features and I think what they have in common is that they take a step back to bring out the serenity, peace and restrained aesthetic values of plants in a less intuitive and realistic manner (using color photos). This is also the initial aspiration of The Bluish Violet Color. Second, the new edition adopts designer Zhu Xinghai’s overall design concepts of calm, modesty and subtlety to present in cover and inner pages the ‘magnificence’ of a flower from the perspective of an insect.” She said her affection for plants permeates the trivialities of her “current” life and the “distant places” she is going to travel to. “This June, I went to the Huanglong Island of Zhejiang Province to take part in a residency program,” she said. “On the coast, I saw a large stretch of grey-white wild flowers swaying in the sea breeze. Never had I seen such plants before. I searched the Internet and learned that they are called ‘Cnidium monnieri’. This is the surprise a distant place brought me. However, most of us are living in the moment. Every day, I walk to my garden to see what subtle changes have happened to my familiar flowers and plants – buds are appearing, flowers are blooming, new leaves and branches are growing … In the last few days, I found the largest vine of the honeysuckle I grew this spring finally climbed up to the upper edge of the flower wall, which made me very delighted. I had been cheering for it.” In her opinion, nature is an integral part of our life. “Nature can be a wilderness or a mountain. It can also be a leaf or a petal.”

The promotion of the new edition of The Bluish Violet Color is novel and interesting. In addition to the book, peripheral products including white T-shirts, silk scarves, floral soaps and illustrated postcards are also available, as well as Yoli’s illustration exhibitions, friends’ audio recommendations co-planned by Jie Chen’s Study in Qing’an and the Sichuan People’s Publishing House, and a late spring party that brings everything together at the scene of Qing’an. Jie Chen said publishing today is hugely different from. It is necessary now to focus on the features of each book. Some books are suitable for quiet reading, while some others can be combined with other activities. She is lucky to have met a group of highly motivated people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone is considering how to better combine our works with cultural and creative industries in our own way to soothe the soul of people and thank everything in nature.

Human Ip

Hong Kong is a world-famous busy metropolis. People walking on the road are always in a hurry. They may know very well the concrete jungle but only have little knowledge about local animals and plants. Human Ip, a Hong Kong writer who loves nature, has become a Yama girl who travels around the mountains and forests in Hong Kong to record her encounters using illustrations and words. A series of her works have been published, including In Search of Flora and In Search of Fauna, for readers to explore the stories about the animals and plants around them.

“In Hong Kong, the focus of modern people is primarily on the city. But actually, three quarters of the land is covered by green plants, home to 2,100 species of native plants. In different species, people can find a lot of local stories,” Human said. “The animals and plants described in my books must be those seen by myself before. When I encounter them, I put them on record. Then, I look up allusions or consult some elders who are familiar with the plants. With all these preparations, I will then begin my writing, after which I will paint them.” In the process of writing, she frequently refers to the classic book Ben Cao Gang Mu by Li Shizhen. “Li Shizhen is a great botanist who spent 27 years on the book,” she said. “The book lists the different names for a plant in different periods and introduces the stories about plants, their functions and other people’s insights. It is very exhaustive and helpful for me to understand plants.”

In addition to being a writer, Human now has a new identity – being a farmer to grow her favorite plants in the fields. “In the past, I could only grow potted plants at home,” she said, “but now, I can grow them in the fields. From the moment when seeds are sowed, I can observe them and record the complete process of their growth including germination, flowering, fruiting and withering.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic over the last year, going to the outskirts to climb mountains and breathe some fresh air has become a choice for many urbanites to relax themselves. Many readers will even take photos of the plants or animals they see and then consult her. Human is delighted to see people paying more attention to local animals and plants than they did before, which is very good for their conservation. She is still the flower seeker living in the city. Whenever she is free, she will take a walk around quiet mountains or steams, and if lucky enough, she will encounter something that she will put down in her future writing.

After reading the sharing of the three nature writers, you must have been touched by the beauty of nature. Additionally, we have selected eight brilliant books from our collections for you to continue your exploration of the beautiful whisper of nature in the simple texts.

中 The Chinese version of this book is available in the collections of the Macao Public Library under the Cultural Affairs Bureau.

Ｈ The English version of this book is available in the collections of the Macao Public Library under the Cultural Affairs Bureau.

Ｅ This book is available in the Chinese electronic database of the Macao Public Library under the Cultural Affairs Bureau.