This is the first Chinese mural in Europe, originally created in 1994 by Chinese artist Li de Cai. At the time he lived in Katendrecht, not far from this ornamental frame. This painting appears to have played a role in Sino-Dutch trade relations, although the story does not tell exactly how or what. It is a fact that Sino-Dutch relations have a long history at Katendrecht. In 1911 Chinese workers came over from England as strike breakers. They continued to live on Katendrecht, which was still a port area at the time. Thus a Chinese community grew there, which is still present and visible on the peninsula. There is a Chinese church, an Asian supermarket and a Chinese tree as a monument to future generations. Story house Belvédère has a wall-filling photo of the Zee family, one of the mixed Chinese families who lived in Katendrecht, in its large reception hall. One day there would even be a European China Center, which eventually fell through. But there is this painting Bamboo and rock - is the Chinese title Jin jié lngyu. Li de Cai chose a well-known theme from the Chinese painting traditions: bamboo branches. He has depicted this in a soft, watercolor-looking painting style. Li de Cai often provided his paintings with a poem in Chinese, which is also the case here. The translation is:
The roots fall between the rocks
and sprout the germs.
The hollow, knotted articulated signs
are unspoiled but strong characters.
After a nocturnal spring rain the
stems, stripped of their casing,
through the clouds towards heaven.
In 1994, Mayor Huang Ju of Shanghai, the sister city of Rotterdam, unveiled the mural together with Mayor Bram Peper. After 25 years, the work was badly affected and was removed in 2019. For some time we have investigated whether the work could be restored, but unfortunately this turned out to be impossible. That is why it has been decided to make a new painting, which will be applied in 2020.
