Cultural Journey – Remembering Chang'an: The Wandering Painter ‘Flute Brother’ at Xi’an School Gate

On March 18, 2019, driven by my love for culture and art, I arrived in ancient Xi'an.

Thanks to my preparation on the train, I easily found a clean and safe guesthouse near Anhui Lane, the nearest to the school. After a few days, it proved my decision was absolutely correct.

Perhaps it was my first time in Xi'an, or perhaps a long-held yearning, I felt a little excited. Without rest, I rushed to the bathroom to wash up and then stepped out of the guesthouse, feeling refreshed.

Approximately two minutes is the Cultural Street at School Gate, and a short turn to the right leads to the entrance of Guanzhong School. At that time, a group of people caught my eye. I saw a man sitting on the curb drawing with a paintbrush. He was in his forties, with long hair and a beard, but his eyes were clear and bright, revealing a rare cleanliness among people of his age. Listening to others, I learned that this was the legendary internet celebrity 'Flute Brother'.

To see him more clearly, I found a spot where he wasn't directly facing me. As he drew, he gestured with his hands, saying that he only painted five fans a day, and the price for each one was fifty yuan, which wasn't much. I carefully looked at the paintings on his fans, which were clearly from the 'Shan Shui Shu Mu' (Mountain and Tree) of the 'Jie Zi Yuan' (Bamboo Grove) anthology, but the lines were remarkably skilled and fluent.

Soon, more and more people came, and I was pushed into the middle. Then, I noticed many people holding their phones not filming or taking pictures, but this didn't seem to bother him, and he continued to paint, as if the world was not relevant to him.

Over the following time, I essentially saw him every day. I think he had already become an important landmark at School Gate.

This is because the next day I started cooperating with local residents, and painted in his shop of brushes and inks. The shop's location was directly opposite Flute Brother's, so I could see him with a glance. Thus, I observed everything he said and did, to my surprise, we became the most familiar strangers.

Every day, people flocked to see him, along with those who came on a whim and those who came with him. The momentum was extraordinary, creating a unique and beautiful landscape at School Gate.

Furthermore, weekends were particularly crowded at the gate, with Flute Brother, alongside the 'Big Beard' painting shrimp, and Mr. Yan painting women's portraits. By the time you were watching Flute Brother, you were already surrounded by people from all sides.

There are many legends surrounding Flute Brother.

My most memorable story is that he consistently arrived at Guanzhong School every afternoon at 5 pm in spring, summer, autumn, and winter (apparently, he had been doing this for seven or eight years). A group of fans would often wait for him, and he would always smile and shrug off any concerns.

As for the rumors that he doesn't have a WeChat account or livestream, I couldn't find out. But his fans were indeed always sold at 50 yuan, without any price increase.

I and Flute Brother have never had a direct conversation, but on the last day I left, I went to see him. It was raining that night, not very heavy, and he was painting fans under the eaves of a house next to School Gate, and he was still sitting on the ground, with fewer people around, and he was still chatting with his hands.

Time flies, and a year has passed. Sometimes I occasionally think of School Gate and Flute Brother, but more often it is his persistence that moves me. It's easy to do one thing every day, but how many people can actually persist in doing the same thing every day? Of course, I also have a question: 'It's so cold on the ground in winter, isn't he cold?'