“The Seven-Treasure Moon (《七宝月亮》) series draws its inspiration from the chapter “Tianzhi” (《天咫》) in Youyang Zazu (《酉阳杂俎》) by Tang-dynasty writer Duan Chengshi (段成式).

Youyang Zazu (《酉阳杂俎》) is an extraordinarily rich collection of zhiguai—tales of the strange and marvelous—and one of the most representative works of Tang-dynasty notebook literature. The title carries symbolic meanings: “Youyang” (酉阳) refers to the legendary cave of Xiaoyou Mountain (小酉山), where it is said that scholars of the Qin dynasty once hid thousands of scrolls; the name later came to signify a secret repository of rare texts. “Zazu” (杂俎), meaning a “miscellaneous platter,” suggests a banquet-like assortment of varied contents. The book consists of thirty volumes that record a vast range of curious accounts, including supernatural tales, Buddhist and Daoist legends, folklore, foreign customs, astronomy, geography, and knowledge of plants and animals. Renowned for its imaginative style and encyclopedic scope, the work preserves valuable materials about Tang-dynasty society, culture, and cross-cultural exchanges. Among its well-known stories is “Ye Xian” (《叶限》), widely regarded as the earliest recorded version of the “Cinderella” motif.

The chapter “Tianzhi” (《天咫》) gathers stories related to astronomy, celestial phenomena, the moon, and the magical abilities of immortals. It reflects the Tang people’s romantic imagination of the cosmos and their mystical interpretations of the universe. One of its most distinctive characteristics is the seamless blending of empirical observation—such as astronomical phenomena—with mythological storytelling.

The most famous tale in this chapter, “Repairing the Moon with a Jade Axe” (《玉斧修月》), served as the original inspiration for this series. The story recounts how two travelers, Zheng Sheng (郑生) and Wang Sheng (王生), lost in the mountains, encounter a mysterious man dressed in white. The man reveals that the moon is composed of seven precious materials (七宝) and that it is constantly maintained by celestial craftsmen. Opening his bundle of tools—chisels and axes—he explains that he himself is one of the eighty-two thousand artisans (八万二千户) responsible for repairing the moon.

This extraordinary story imagines the moon not as a distant natural object but as a celestial body requiring continuous maintenance. The elegance of this cosmological speculation surpasses many other legends of its time.

The story lingered in my mind long after reading it. In 2023, I created the work Seven-Treasure Moon (《七宝月亮》), and this year I painted this new work as a continuation and remembrance of that enduring inspiration.”