Artist Rescues Northern Wei Dynasty Fonts From Hong Kong Signboards
Old Hong Kong was home to people who had the impression that there were commercial streets that were wealthy. Advertising signs were visible high above their heads, making them distinct at night as well as day. During the day, you could see the different sizes and styles of calligraphy on the staggered signsboards. To make the neon signs brighter and more colorful at night, all the neon lights illuminated them.
Signboards often used a powerful and majestic calligraphic style. This style was inspired by the calligraphy of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was square and thick without losing its elegance. This symbolises a strong, open-minded Hong Kong that combines Eastern and Western cultures. It is full of vitality.
Local authorities have issued removal notices in recent years stating that signboards sticking out the eaves of buildings were in violation the Buildings Ordinance.
Many of the signboards that had been left standing had to be removed and placed in the collective memory of Hongkongers.
Kisslan Chan King Lun was also known as Ksir. He spent 2 years collecting fonts from these signsboards and then saved them by using digital restoration.
He published the revival version, first generation, of “Explosive northern Wei Font Style” The public was notified earlier in the year.
Chan stated that Chan believed the “soul,” Fonts from these signboards will never be lost. Chan hopes that the fonts that he saved can be preserved and used by future generations to revive the signboards.
Hong Kong-style Signboard Inventors – The “Beiwei Zansyu Chinese Type”
Beiwei Zansyu, a nomadic tribe, was the first one to discover the existence of the phenomenon. “Beiwei Zansyu Chinese Type”. XianbeiThe Northern Dynasty was created in 490 AD. It took over the Xianbei language of Chinese. Emperor Xiaowen was the ruler of the time and moved the capital from Luoyang to him. Sinicization was also his responsibility, an important step in China’s introduction of Buddhism. This unique style of calligraphy holds a special place within Chinese history due to its bold, strong, and clear characters. It was mostly carved using a knife.
Zhao Zhiqian (a Qing Dynasty calligrapher) first created the Northern Wei style in Hong Kong. He was followed by modern calligraphers Au Kung and Su Shijie. Au was a Guangdong Province resident. His entire life was dedicated to education. Queen’s Road Central’s School of Calligraphy was founded by him. This school made calligraphy popular and education his life’s work. Today, you can still find Beiwei’s style on streets throughout Hong Kong, Kowloon, and the New Territories.
Chan, an artist from Hong Kong, was attracted in March 2021 to the vintage signs of the Kwai-Chung Industrial Area. He noticed that the old shops were disappearing rapidly and had an idea to restore Northern Wei style. He wanted to digitally bring back fonts that were representative of Hong Kong’s unique past.
Signboards are gone, but their Souls’ remain.
“In the last two years, the removal of signboards was so rapid that it was possible to… completely remove the old ones hanging over many streets. It seems as if a landmark is suddenly disappearing from the signboards. Chan stated that signboards were taken down from the demolished buildings, and the stores were closed. Computerized writing replaced handwriting masters. The once-glory Northern Wei style became gradually obsolete.” Chan agreed. I still remember seeing the signboard advertising Lau Piu Bonesetters at Yau Ma Tei. It was gone since I hadn’t been back in quite some time.
The signboard with brass embossed design from Loong Chu Mahjong Entertainment Company that was located in an older Tai Kok Tsui building will be demolished because of recycling. Chan said that he could save the signboard. “the soul” You can remove the signboard from your home so it is easy to make it another day.
It was vital to identify archetypes that would be appropriate for these characters. Wu and Nu were, for instance, exactly what he was seeking. Wu could be his main character while Nu could play the role of the supporting character. He explained that Chinese characters can be made up of parts or radicals. Therefore, he can combine them to make different characters.
The complete set of Chinese fonts includes more than 8,000 characters. After recording the characters, he draws them himself. Next, he adjusts each character’s size and angle using digital technology.
He then attempts to fix each one and then combines them all into the “Northern Wei Font Style”. Unicode is a computer font that anyone can input. He plans to release two versions, one thicker than the other, of the Beiwei fonts. This will allow everyone to choose from a range of design options.
Initial plans were to launch it. “Explosive North Wei Style” September 2022. But, it was postponed to Jan 2023. Chan stated, “making the characters” It was much more difficult than expected. “There are many details to consider. It’s like being a sculptor, where each character must be created on the computer. It takes almost four months for each character to find the prototype. He wanted to quit doing the same thing day in and day out, but he believed he was responsible to finish the project he started. “Because so many people have supported my cause, I am unable to give up. Therefore, it is my responsibility that it be completed.
Chan had previously launched a crowdfunding campaign on a Taiwanese website to fund the font. His sponsors came from Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Half of them were also Taiwanese. He is eager to digitize the font. “Many Taiwanese designers bought my fonts.” The fonts that I used and Li Han-Kong Kai used fonts to create a poster at the ‘Taiwan-Hong Kong Food and Beverage Consultation’ (Tai Gang Yin Shi Qie Cuo ), event. It was organized by the Nowhere Bookstore and the Hong Kong-Taiwan Economic and Cultural Co-operation and Promotion Council. My characters appeared on the cover of President TsaiIng–wen’s election broadcast. He said that he would continue to introduce Taiwanese and Hakka characters into different groups in the future.
Chan believes the most exciting scene would be Hong Kong’s recreation of the Bei Wei-style signsboards. Numerous markets are currently in the process of renovations. They are looking for design firms that can create uniform designs. This font would look great if it could all be used in one day. The Northern Wei Style could be used by the entire market. This is something I look forward too.
From Artist Saves Northern Wei Dynasty Fonts from Hong Kong Signboards
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
