The bamboo walking stick  

David was a bamboo enthusiast and grew many species in our Glen Road garden. David’s walking stick was made by him from the species Phyllostachys aurea, a native to China where it is known as “phoenix bamboo”. Its ornamental appearance and bone hard quality make it very suitable for walking sticks and umbrella handles. David very patiently smoothed the nodes from which the leaves grew and capped both top and end. The cane mellowed and took on a shine. It then became his constant companion when out walking.

Grandfather’s calligraphy 

The other item which David treasured was the scroll, an example of the calligraphy of his grandfather FUNG Sing Heng [馮星衡].

The scroll was written in Pui Ching, Guangzhou.  Pui Ching Middle School was founded in Guangzhou in 1889 by Chinese Baptists.  Grandfather had a stationery shop at the school and taught calligraphy there.

FUNG Sing Heng wrote this scroll in 1950, the year in which he died.  Born in 1870, he would have lived through the tumultuous years from the end of the Ch’ing dynasty, through the years of revolution, the Sino-Japanese War and the establishment of the People’s Republic in the 20th century.  He chose these three poems from an anthology entitled, Collection Among the Flowers from the Five Dynasties period as the subject of this piece of calligraphy.

The reflective tone of the poems suggests an awareness of his mortality. The poems are about separation and the sharing of many happy life experiences. they contain many beautiful images, such as the dancing butterflies, the jade pavilion, the light rain and fragrant dust.  The poems evoke past times of happiness and companionship now lost.

David writes: - “He (Grandfather) devoted his life to education and calligraphy. “

Examples of his work are held by his grandchildren and their families. “I consider his calligraphy much better than most that I have seen, one can sense the years of practise, the solidity of form and strength.” “I hope that his work will be treasured as important family heirlooms to be kept, and perhaps one day to be collected together.”

(Thank you to Dr. Ellen Soulliere for her work on the poem.)

Esther FUNG

2015

David and Esther FUNG

The last time I met David FUNG [馮智偉] was at the launch of his book Turning Stone into Jade [雕石成璧] in Auckland, and we made a time to photograph him and his wife Esther [馮吳瑞珍] after a month in their Wellington home. He never made it though.

Despite her loss of David, Esther kept our scheduled plan to be photographed.  I included David’s walking cane in her portrait and in the photograph of the calligraphy of David’s grandfather FUNG Sing Heng [馮星衡] along with a photograph of the couple that I took at his book launch. With his cane, he walked us through his family history. He also guided the audience to walk through the history of the New Zealand Chinese Association in his book Turning Stone into Jade [雕石成璧].

King Tong HO

2015

竹手杖

冯智伟对竹子着迷, 在 Glen Road 花园种了很多品种的竹子。智伟的手杖就是他用罗汉竹制作的, 罗汉竹来自中国, 在中国称为“凤凰竹”。罗汉竹外表美观质地坚硬, 非常适合制作手杖和伞柄。他非常耐心地磨滑各个竹节, 并在头尾加上盖子。手杖圆润, 又有光泽, 是他外出步行时的亲密伴侣。

祖父冯星衡的书法

智伟珍藏的另一物品是这幅画卷, 他祖父冯星衡的书法。

一八八九年广州培正中学由华人浸信会创建。他的祖父冯星衡在学校开了家文具店, 且在店里教书法。

一九五零年冯星衡于广州培正中学写此画卷，同一年他去世。他出生于一八七零年，历经清朝末年的骚乱，二十世纪的革命岁月、中日战争和中华人民共和国的建立。书法的内容乃五代的三首词，取自［花间集］文选。词中沈鬱的语调传递出作者对生命的反思。词句展现了离别，也分享了幸福的生活经历。它蕴含许多美丽的图像，如飞舞的蝴蝶、玉阁、小雨和香尘。词句唤起了过去的快乐时光和不复存在的友谊。

智伟写道：“祖父将他的一生献给了教育和书法。”

他的作品由他的孙辈和他们的家人保存。“我认为他的书法比我见过的大多数作品还好，你能感觉到他多年的实践功底，坚实的结构 和作品表达的力量。”

“我希望他的作品成为传家之宝而被珍藏, 也许有一天可以收集在一起。”

注: 感谢 Dr. Ellen Soulliere 对这首诗所作的工作。

冯吴瑞珍

2015

冯智伟与冯吴瑞珍

我与冯智伟最后一次会面, 是他的新书 "雕石成璧" 在奥克兰的发布会上。我们约定一个月之后在威灵顿他的家中, 拍摄他及妻子冯吴瑞珍的肖像, 只可惜他过世了。

虽然失去冯智伟, 冯吴瑞珍仍依原订计划让我拍摄。我请冯吴瑞珍拿着冯智伟的手杖拍肖像, 也把手杖、他祖父冯星衡的书法、与及新书发布会时我替他们拍的照片, 放在一起合照。凭着手杖, 他带引我们走进他的家庭史, 也透过他的书 "雕石成璧", 他引领发布会的听众, 走进纽西兰华人社群的历史。

何经棠

2015

竹手杖

馮智偉對竹子著迷，在 Glen Road 花園種了很多品種的竹子。智偉的手杖就是他用羅漢竹制作的，羅漢竹來自中國，在中國稱為“鳳凰竹”。羅漢竹外表美觀質地堅硬，非常適合制作手杖和傘柄。他非常耐心地磨滑各個竹節，並在頭尾加上蓋子。手杖圓潤, 又有光澤，是他外出步行時的親密伴侶。

祖父馮星衡的書法

智偉珍藏的另一物品是這幅畫卷，他祖父馮星衡的書法。

一八八九年廣州培正中學由華人浸信會創建。他的祖父馮星衡在學校開了家文具店，且在店裏教書法。

一九五零年馮星衡於廣州培正中學寫此畫卷，同一年他去世。他出生於一八七零年，歷經清朝末年的騷亂，二十世紀的革命歲月、中日戰爭和中華人民共和國的建立。書法的內容乃五代的三首詞，取自［花間集］文選。詞中沈鬱的語調傳遞出作者對生命的反思。詞句展現了離別，也分享了幸福的生活經歷。它蘊含許多美麗的圖像，如飛舞的蝴蝶、玉閣、小雨和香塵。詞句喚起了過去的快樂時光和不復存在的友誼。

智偉寫道：“祖父將他的一生獻給了教育和書法。”

他的作品由他的孫輩和他們的家人保存。“我認為他的書法比我見過的大多數作品還好，你能感覺到他多年的實踐功底，堅實的結構 和作品表達的力量。”

“我希望他的作品成為傳家之寶而被珍藏，也許有一天可以收集在一起。”

註: 感謝 Dr. Ellen Soulliere 對這首詩所作的工作。

馮吳瑞珍

2015

馮智偉與馮吳瑞珍

我與馮智偉最後一次會面，是他的新書"雕石成璧"在奧克蘭的發佈會上。我們約定一個月之後在威靈頓他的家中，拍攝他及妻子馮吳瑞珍的肖像，只可惜他過世了。

雖然失去馮智偉，馮吳瑞珍仍依原訂計劃讓我拍攝。我請馮吳瑞珍拿著馮智偉的手杖拍肖像，也把手杖、他祖父馮星衡的書法、與及新書發佈會時我替他們拍的照片，放在一起合照。憑著手杖，他帶引我們走進他的家庭史，也透過他的書"雕石成璧"，他引領發佈會的聽眾，走進紐西蘭華人社群的歷史。

何經棠

2015