Writing Background

Shortly after l arrived in Edmonton, l noticed the Chinese name Yee Tatming 余逹明since his calligraphy and painting works were posted in the hotels, Edmonton Chinatown Chinese Library and all Chinese restaurants that I visited. Calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting are pure Chinese artforms. Hence, for me, a Chinese woman with a passion for the Chinese culture, l was deeply touched by his name in a foreign land. Later, l read several articles published by him in the local Chinese newspapers. All of these indicate that he is quite an influential figure in Edmonton’s Chinese community。

Excerpt

On September 17, 2024, Mr. Yee sent me a message that the municipal government of Edmonton held a grand opening ceremony for his calligraphy for the Chinese archway. Over four hundred people attended the event. Above the red Chinese archway, there are four golden characters on a black horizontal plaque, 天下为公, which looked so powerful, with a grand and imposing aura. The quote, from礼记 (The Book of Rites), was taken by Sun Yat-sen, the builder of the Republic of China, as a political ideal, and it was engraved and passed down until today. Mr. Yee wrote down these four characters, which revealed, to some extent, his political vision — to treat the whole world as one community.