Original subtitles

Regrets in life

must be endured.

So this is truly the so-called "naive".

You must have a lot of time.

Distant mountain ranges.

Flowing clouds and mist.

A huge area of white here.

You must be happy in the mountains.

But many people are looking for you.

Why am I writing this?

You open the inbox, but no e-mail.

That means I didn't send it to you.

Which means I haven't finished it.

If I haven't finished it,

Rush, rush.

What's the use of rushing?

Stop calling, please!

Time passes by,

to staying here awhile...

Hello.

I'm heading off to work.

I do care...

I don't want it rebuilt.

Or tear down the house, either.

I've already said this many times.

Dad hasn't decided yet.

No matter what I say is useless.

So...

Mom!

I can only make a suggestion.

I can't make any decisions.

OK.

I have to go to work.

I'm going to be late.

I'll call later.

OK.

OK.

Bye-bye.

How could this be?

A slide is missing...

Hey!

Hey!

You're lucky this time.

Sit down!

Hurry!

Morning!

Sit down...

Last time,

talking about World War II,

how we transported valuable objects

away from the front line.

It sure was a chaotic time.

Enemy planes

would appear anytime and drop bombs.

So no one wanted to move the art.

I was quite young

at that time.

And I was bold.

I said,

"OK,

I'll do it."

The night was best for transporting.

There's no bombing at night.

It was safer.

But,

there was something else to fear -

bandits,

bandits who took advantage to

rob in the chaos of war.

Hey!

You braked too fast!

Sorry...

The brake linings were just replaced.

The topic I want to discuss today

is "time" in Chinese painting,

especially when looking at painting,

since the act itself is fluid.

The sense of time in a painting

is the passage through a piece.

This topic is perhaps a bit difficult.

Let's look at some slides.

This painting is Hsia Kuei's

Remote View of Streams and Hills.

This scroll is 889.1cm long.

The piece utilizes spontaneous dots

and lines with exaggerated washes,

forming the texture of the mountains.

As you look at this piece,

we go from right to left.

You will feel a strong

sense of time.

This sense of time is very tight.

Next is Chao Meng-fu's Autumn Colors on the Ch'iao and Hua Mountains.

The details are memories of antiquity.

I feel...

it gives the sense of a dreamland.

This was supposed to be Autumn Colors on the Ch'iao and Hua Mountains.

I guess I must have dropped the slide this morning

when I was cleaning up.

Sorry about that.

But I'll make sure I find it.

Of course, I should still explain it...

Please.

Please!

Please!

Please...

What in the world are you thinking?

It's just a cave, right?

What's so beautiful about it?

Please...

Everyone has dreams.

Please.

Please!

Everyone needs dreams!

Please.

Please!

Everyone needs dreams!

Please!

It's no use.

Old people...

they're all like this.

You...

You know how to get your way.

No wonder my father forgets who I am.

But he always remembers you.

How is the old man's health?

Remember...

The space between solid and void

must be continuous.

Get that!

Message

Hand in your paper, big author!

That's all for today.

You can go.

Good morning.

There's a letter for you, Ching.

Oh.

Thank you.

Another? Why waste money? Just write an e-mail.

I like letters! Please...

Whatever. Whatever makes you happy.

Thanks. How is he?

I don't know. He's hiding again. I'm busy. I don't want to deal with you two.

Are you mad or jealous?

I was going to ask you that.

Would your husband be angry

if you wrote to old lovers?

"Flying Birds and Fish"...is offline.

Hey!

Your turn to take a picture.

OK?

Ching.

Come take your picture together.

Coming.

Hey...

Didn't photograph your face.

One more time.

One... Two... Three...

OK.

Thank you.

Why'd you come to this island?

Just because of the war? Or...

Stop thinking too much.

I'll take care of it.

OK, that's all.

Excuse me...

Sorry.

Do you know...

Do you know how to find this address?

I think it's a karaoke club.

This one?

Turn left and you'll see it.

It's very close.

Just turn left at the traffic light, right?

That's it.

Thank you.

No problem.

Thanks.

Here's your order.

OK.

Please.

Enjoy.

May I ask...

Are you Japanese?

Excuse me? You can tell?

I knew right away.

Oh...

Are you a tourist here?

No, I'm here for work.

When did you get here?

Today.

Oh, I see.

Well, enjoy!

Welcome!

Oh, yeah...

You know a work called Cold Food Observance?

The Cold Food Observance?

Yes.

Never heard of it.

In Chinese it's called...

Han-shih t'ieh.

Really...

Sorry, I don't know it.

I see.

That's OK.

Never mind.

Long time no see.

Long time no see.

Mr. "Late".

What took you so long?

Who can find this place?

I walked for over an hour.

I looked for a long time!

You always get lost.

Come on.

You're like this every time.

Look who's here.

Dong-heng.

Dou-dou.

Look at this crazy woman.

Long time no see.

Long time no see.

What have you been up to?

Have a seat.

Come on.

Have a drink.

Let me eat something.

You're going to kill me.

Drink up. Drink up.

Still some left. Hurry up.

Still a little bit left. Hurry, hurry.

That's good.

Dong-heng's map

only has two landmarks in it.

The first is his house.

The other is that of Wu Yi-ssu.

No.

This landmark

has run off to America.

What's with you?

You're lost all day long.

So?

You've a new goal? A new landmark?

Oh.

Do you have a new landmark?

No...

What've you been writing about?

Just stuff. What kind of stuff?

Cut it out.

You always say you're writing.

He's probably writing a Taipei guide.

Come on.

Let me take a look.

What's that?

Let me take a look.

Let me see.

I'm writing this...

The National Palace Museum wants me to write a story.

What is this?

Let me see.

My friend just cast it this afternoon.

Careful.

Please!

Don't be so rough.

I need to give it back to him.

Be careful!

Don't look at it.

Look,

in five hundred years,

this cup will just be like that.

Who wants to hear this stuff?

I'll have one.

I'll have one.

My turn.

My turn.

Don't bump!

To Mr. Li Dong-heng

c/o Chen Yu-ching

Hello?

Mom.

Mom?

I've told you a hundred times.

I'm against it.

That's where I grew up.

I don't want it torn down.

Mom.

I know.

Just think of me as a dreamer, OK?

But...

Mom, I have friends over.

I'll call you later.

OK.

Bye-bye.

Bye.

Look.

Actually, from this work by Mi Fu,

you can see his rich brushwork.

No wonder he is representative of

the Four Sung Masters.

For me.

Hello? This is Chen Yu-ching.

Yes! Yes!

You say you can take me inside?

Really?

I can go in the cave.

OK.

Thank you.

OK.

I know.

Bye-bye.

After I came to Taiwan...

Uh...

I searched everywhere,

searching for a long time.

To find a suitable place.

This place is near the mountains.

Everyone said it was good.

OK.

We took these works that survived

the war and dug a cave

to hide them in.

But how deep

was deep enough?

Thank you.

Who's that guy?

That Japanese guy?

He asked if Cold Food Observance was on display.

When I told him it wasn't,

he looked dumbfounded.

That's weird.

I thought it was a guy you dumped,

asking for another chance.

I was afraid to come over.

You think too much.

Hey...

Guess what?

I can go into the cave.

Really?

Guess your stubbornness paid off.

Ladies and gentlemen,

now on to the bronze exhibit.

Please follow me.

This is a classic early Northern Sung landscape.

Fan K'uan lived in the mountains,

staring at the views every day.

His bold brush made great scenery,

showing the eternity of the north.

The near distance in the painting

is split into two portions

by a road left blank on the silk.

Mules enter from the right,

highlighting the subject of travel...

Excuse me.

Sure.

That... stamp.

This?

Yes.

In the gift shop in the lobby,

OK.

You can buy stamps and albums there.

Really?

Thank you.

I bought some last time,

but

it was different.

You speak Chinese!

A little.

You work here?

Yeah.

Have you seen the real Cold Food Observance?

I work here.

Everything I see is an original.

Oh.

What's it feel like?

It feels... real.

May I ask...

Can you take me to storage?

Why?

I'd like to...

I'd like to see it.

That's not allowed.

I can't take you down.

Oh, I see.

Looks like

you really want to see that piece.

Big author.

You've finally shown up.

If you stay lost any longer,

our boss might jump in the river!

Hey.

That Japanese guy

over there

says he wants to see Cold Food Observance.

But it's not on display right now.

He looked so disappointed.

You know,

he asked me

to take him down to storage.

Don't you feel sorry for him?

Why?

OK,

forget it.

Forget it.

Is she doing OK in America?

Did she say when she's coming back?

You know,

I was very upset when she left, too.

You OK?

I can go into the cave.

Two years.

I begged for two whole years before

anyone would take me into cave storage.

A time tunnel of a thousand years,

my dream's finally come true.

Hey...

Let's go get some tea

to celebrate.

Let's go.

I have things to write tonight.

Oh.

Forget it.

I'm busy anyways.

Next time.

I'm getting off.

I've already given you the letter.

Enjoy it.

Hey.

You dropped this.

Hurry up and turn your paper in.

That's weird.

Why are you getting off here?

I'm not allowed to have a date?

Hello?

You still busy?

Yeah.

Still writing.

Oh.

I saw that Japanese guy again today.

Oh.

Same one.

The one wanting to see Cold Food Observance.

He looked very serious.

Oh.

You know what?

When he was at the Museum today,

he had a letter in his hand.

The stamp on it was a quarter of Cold Food Observance.

I remember...

I remember the letter our friend sent

also had a stamp with a quarter of Cold Food Observance.

Don't you feel

we should help him a little?

Like how?

Like let him see

an original-size copy of Cold Food Observance.

I think

he's got an interesting story.

Hey...

Isn't this what you're writing about?

Hey...

How many Japanese come to the Museum every year?

I have to help every one of them?

Hello?

Did I say something wrong?

No.

You didn't say anything wrong.

It's just you're so cold.

It scared me.

I'm fine.

That's just who I am.

How can you talk like that?

You're so messed up.

If there's nothing else,

I'd like to write.

OK.

Go write your stuff.

Anyways, you don't have a heart,

writing more isn't going to help.

The story of culture destroyed by man.

How many times has this happened?

It took three months

to dig out this cave.

They could have dug to the sea.

Ancient artists

and great craftsmen

all live in this cave.

So when you enter the cave,

you feel its very long,

like you could walk forever.

Those who walk in it

become less and less significant.

In the end,

they just disappear,

while the art lives forever.

Uncle Chao!

Is a museum

also a journey of ancient relics?

That year

was a tense year.

Everyone knew

the war would start any time.

I was an important relic escort.

Uncle Chao,

can you hold on a second?

Let's put this microphone on, OK?

This way I can record you.

Dong-heng.

We've known each other for so long.

Every time I answer your questions.

But you never tell me about you.

Let's talk about you today.

I have no interesting stories.

Why don't you tell me some?

You've come again.

Yes.

Which period of bronzes do you like?

I'm not sure.

Do you want to look at this?

The characters on San P'an Basin

are in seal script.

Do you know these?

Many Chinese artists from long ago

used unique features of seal script.

These unique traits...

I'm sorry.

I don't know too much

about this stuff.

So why are you so interested in Cold Food Observance?

I'm sorry,

but I don't know how to explain it.

Oh.

That's your Japanese friend, right?

I can explain to you in more detail

by showing you my slides.

If you're still in Taiwan on Saturday...

I will be.

My flight is on Sunday.

So it should be OK.

He speaks Chinese.

This is my info on Cold Food Observance,

if it helps.

Thank you.

No problem.

I can give a more complete introduction to Cold Food Observance,

background information and such.

Thank you.

Will your friend come with you?

No,

because I have to write tonight.

I have things to write.

So I can't make it.

It's up to you.

Anyways, you could suddenly turn this cold again anytime.

Nobody can stop you.

Look! Look!

The water is flowing so fast!

Yeah!

There's such a loud echo!

Boss!

Two more cans of beer.

Help yourself.

And...

vegetable-egg.

Vegetable-egg.

One vegetable-egg.

Yes.

And a tofu dish.

OK, then A-cai Tofu.

OK.

Is that it?

That's enough.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Cheers.

Cheers.

Cheers!

That's good.

That is good.

Cheers!

I spent a year in Beijing before.

That's where I learned Chinese.

A year.

That's impressive!

You speak really well!

This is my third time to Taiwan.

Before I checked cars for my work.

But now, I've truly gained something,

due to the National Palace Museum.

Yeah.

Though I've yet to see Cold Food Observance,

I've seen see many other works of art.

All have a common... personality.

It's like my mood right now.

How do you feel?

Well...

I feel..."quiet."

Like your name, "Ching."

Are you looking for "quiet" now?

Yeah.

Before I came, I didn't know what I wanted.

Before in Taiwan, it was making money and drinking beer.

Busy during the day checking cars,

busy at night singing and drinking.

But this time,

because of internal politics

in my company in Japan,

I was demoted.

So for a lot of reasons,

I wanted to find peace and quiet.

Only then can I find myself.

So now you feel like

Su Shih when he was exiled, right?

That's why you came to see Cold Food Observance.

You're half right.

The other reason is very personal.

This.

No.

Juice.

This.

Don't drink anymore.

Juice.

Just a sip.

No.

This.

Your heart's broken.

OK.

Let's go.

I'll get a taxi for you.

If you knew kung-fu,

I'd take you

to the Museum

to see Cold Food Observance.

Thank you.

The big author.

Every day sitting at home.

Another letter.

I'm the mail lady with Big Author's letters.

Have a good time drinking with your handsome Japanese friend?

I had a really good time!

Really.

A really good time.

I think he likes Su Shih better.

Or why would you be here?

Hey!

Are you going to sleep here tonight?

Hey!

Up to you.

Anyway, you pretty much pay the rent.

Go to hell.

What did you say?

What did you say?

What did you say?

You never do anything.

You're not old, but your heart is.

The art history you studied was wrong.

So narrow-minded.

You're getting farther away from art!

You're like those workers tearing down the house.

Just tearing down.

Tear it down... Tear it down!

You just sit at your computer!

That's all you know!

No wonder she can't stand you!

All you know is computers!

Who could stand that?

Having some things imperfect

is a necessary process.

Just let it be this way.

Please return these letters to her.

Thank you.

He told me,

regrets in life

are nothing more than

memories at your leisure.

If you have time, go see him.

Look.

It got knocked over that night.

It broke.

In 1945

I had 2 pieces of worn-out clothes in my bags,

and a small jade horse my mother gave me.

These two heirlooms

accompanied me throughout the war.

That is, until one night in 1975,

during a typhoon in Taiwan.

Though just an average piece of jade,

to me

it felt the same as if

a relic at the museum had broken.

In 1082, Su Shi

offended the Emperor with his writing,

and was banished to distant Huangzhou.

He wrote this piece then in that frame of mind.

Here

his poetry is filled with anguish.

But look.

His calligraphy

conveys innocence and simplicity.

I think

This is a banished poet

without any more cares.

The fate of this work actually

is the same as that of Su Shih.

Destitute. Homeless.

When English and French armies attacked the Ch'ing court,

the piece survived the flames.

Then it went to Japan,

and survived the Kanto earthquake.

Most of Tokyo went up in flames.

But Cold Food Observance was saved when buried in rubble.

My grandfather restored it in Japan.

When I was very young,

my grandfather told me the story of Su Shih and Cold Food Observance.

I think my grandfather,

at heart, took this work as his own.

He said he spent an entire year

conversing with Cold Food Observance

before he could see Su's feelings.

I think as a restorer, he felt

this was his greatest achievement.

In the hospital,

he took my hand and told me,

that he wished he could go to Taiwan

and see Cold Food Observance

with his own eyes one more time.

He could never forget it...

I'm sorry.

I'm entrusted with my grandfather's wish.

I wanted to see the most

beautiful work in my grandfather's heart.

Thank you

for letting me better understand him.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I wrote a song

for you.

When you touch my shoulder

I feel that

I will see this sky again someday.

Although you just brushed past,

I believe this sky

has already become a part of my heart.

No matter how many seasons pass,

it will never fade.

Shima

This character is for "person."

It's my favorite ancient character.

On tortoise shell inscriptions,

the character represents a person stretching out hands,

wanting to interact with another person.

This character displays friendship.

Ching.

Dad, come back and eat.

I suddenly miss my father.

He used to patrol the mountains.

I loved going into the mountains with him as a child.

One day he left the house,

heading off into the mountains.

And he never came back.

Afterwards,

my family

would go to the mountains every year, shouting his name.

As if he was lost,

or did something wrong

and was hiding like a child.

Dad! Come back home for dinner!

Remember!

The space between solid and void

must be continuous.

A museum is here in the mountains.

She just wanted passage by the island.

But

fate has made her stay.