By linking my account to the check-in system, I became a leisurely traveler.

Chapter 258 The Respected "Teacher Li" [Small update, 8 words!]

Thangka is a transliteration of the Tibetan word and does not refer to cards from the Tang Dynasty. A more literal translation would be scroll painting.

From an artistic perspective, Thangka has extremely important cultural and artistic value, and it is among the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage.

Because Li Younan's painting skills have reached their peak, he has a detailed understanding of the artistic techniques of all schools of painting.

Knowledge about Thangka naturally came to his mind: the origin of Thangka is still inconclusive, but it is generally believed to have originated during the reign of Songtsen Gampo and matured during the Song and Yuan dynasties.

The traditional mode of Thangka transmission is oral instruction from master to apprentice. However, since the 70s, many universities have started to establish related majors, forming a multi-level talent training system.

The consumer base for Thangka is no longer limited to Buddhist believers as before. For people without faith, Thangka is also a good art and craft consumer product.

Li Younan thought for a moment, then turned a page of drawing paper, picked up a pencil, and sketched an outline on the paper with a few strokes.

The little boy next to him blinked, then stared wide-eyed at the tools in Li Younan's hands.

If one were to strictly follow the traditional handcrafting process of Thangka painting, the painting process would be even more complex, as it must strictly adhere to the proportional standards prescribed in religious texts such as iconography and measurement scriptures.

However, since Li Younan has top-notch painting skills, the so-called standards have been completely integrated into his technique when he paints.

The figures and facial features of different deities have fixed measurements, and there are rituals such as chanting scriptures for blessings and offering butter lamps before the formal painting.

However, at this time, Li Younan was only displaying it as a work of art, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

After sketching the outline of the painting with a few strokes, Li Younan began to paint using oil painting techniques.

The little boy didn't understand how detailed Li Younan's paintings were, but compared to what he saw at the teacher's in town, he felt that Li Younan's paintings seemed to be faster and more beautiful.

However, some parts seem to be quite different from the Thangka paintings he had learned before.

What Li Younan was doing at that moment was nothing more than a pastime for him.

In less than half an hour, a painting with vibrant colors and rich layers was completed.

The main subject of the painting is a very majestic-looking Acala Bodhisattva, but in its depiction, it does not strictly follow the painting techniques of Thangka, but rather integrates various suitable painting techniques.

It was while painting this picture that Li Younan truly understood how amazing his painting skills were.

For him, the expressive techniques of various schools of thought no longer require too much attention, nor does he need to be overly bound by any particular expressive technique.

Once you have the main composition and colors of the painting in your mind, it's enough to just follow your instincts and paint.

Every time I paint, I become very immersed in that state, similar to flow, but even more than flow.

At times, he was no longer confident, but rather completely unsure.

It seems that the artwork on the paper is not painted, but rather it was originally like that, and he simply used paint to outline its shape based on instinct... Before this, he didn't even know what the subject of the painting should look like.

And once it's drawn, it gives people a sense of natural perfection, as if it were meant to be.

After casually sketching the painting, Li Younan rolled it up and placed it in the brush basket next to him.

The little boy's gaze then moved to the pencil case.

Li Younan found it amusing. After making a few more strokes in his sketch, he took out the casually drawn picture and said, "If you like it, I'll give it to you."

The little boy solemnly accepted the painting, repeatedly saying thank you. After thinking for a moment, he asked curiously, "Big brother, have you also studied Thangka painting?"

Li Younan smiled and said, "I haven't studied it specifically, so don't treat this painting as a serious Thangka. Just think of it as an ordinary painting."

He is well aware that formal Thangka painting has many intricacies, but as times change, this traditional craft is also embracing innovation.

At this moment, Liu Li was learning Tibetan with several children.

After several casual conversations, Li Younan learned about the obvious differences between Amdo, Ü-Tsang, and Kham languages.

Liu Li's serious expression while studying was quite amusing.

The children didn't stay long; for them, running around the mountain was much more fun than sitting and drinking tea.

They left before noon.

As the sun rose higher and the temperature warmed up, Li Younan and Liu Li returned to their RV for a midday rest.

The spectacular sight of the sun illuminating the golden mountain had not yet appeared, but the two were not in a hurry. They were happy to stay in this state for a few more days.

Liu Li didn't ask why she was staying longer; to her, it didn't matter where she was.

While Li Younan was taking a lunch break, the Thangka that he had casually drawn and then given away ended up in an unexpected place.

……

The boy named Luo Bucuo couldn't quite understand the quality of the painting Li Younan had given him, but he liked it very much.

He thought it was very beautiful, both the colors and the main Buddha figure were extremely...stunning.

The Buddha statue, in particular, is exactly the same as the Thangka Buddha statues I've seen before in terms of posture and proportion, but it looks more three-dimensional and has more charm.

The background is also like that.

So when he went to town to learn Thangka painting in the afternoon, he secretly brought the painting with him.

There is a Thangka training class in the town.

Many children and young people are learning the art of Thangka here. At this moment, city leaders are coming down to inspect and giving instructions to the person in charge of the Thangka training class.

"In the past, Thangkas hung quietly in temples, receiving incense offerings for thousands of years. Now, they appear in city galleries, e-commerce platforms, and tourist souvenir shops. How this ancient landscape should face the tide of the new era is a question we need to think about carefully."

"The future of Thangka is full of opportunities, but also full of questions. As artists, their works will be seen and collected by more people. Young people are also starting to try innovation, painting Thangka elements on ceramics and leather goods, integrating ancient symbols into modern life, which is great!"

"The challenges are real, but so is the passion. The best way to pass it on is not to lock it in a glass case, but to let it find its value in the market."

The leader outside was giving instructions, and his voice carried into the classroom.

Lobsang didn't understand, nor did he care.

He loves drawing, and at this moment his attention is completely focused on the teacher's explanation.

After the teacher finished explaining a section, they were asked to start practicing.

Luo Bucuo took out his painting tools and painted for a while, but he couldn't help but open the scroll that Li Younan had given him again—only when he was painting himself could he more intuitively feel how well others had painted.

Teacher Dawa Tenzin walked around inspecting the students' paintings. When he reached the youngest student in the classroom, Lobsang, he suddenly stopped and his gaze was fixed on the hand-painted Thangka painting in Lobsang's hand.

"Who gave you this painting?" the teacher asked.

Lobsang looked at Dawa Tundrup with some nervousness.

Dawa Tundrup smiled and shook his head: "It's alright, don't be nervous, let me take a look at this painting."

Luo Bucuo carefully handed the painting to the teacher.

Dawa Tenzin held the painting in his hands and examined it carefully.

As an artist with over a decade of experience, he immediately recognized the painting's astonishing quality—

It does not strictly follow the traditional Thangka creation techniques, but uses the texture of oil painting lines to outline the contours and convey the texture and three-dimensionality of the objects.

The use of warm and cool colors and light and dark transitions creates a strong sense of depth and three-dimensionality in the image.

The background uses an oil painting gradient technique to create a sense of depth and space, further highlighting the main Buddha statue.

The more I looked, the more surprised I became.

In recent years, the training period for traditional Thangka painters has been long, and fewer and fewer people can persist in learning for more than ten years. There are fewer than 100 painters nationwide who have truly mastered the core skills.

Economic pressures have led to a severe brain drain. Although Thangka has been listed as one of the first batch of intangible cultural heritages, this art is facing unprecedented challenges, with no new painting masters emerging for many years.

When Dawa Tundrup saw the painting, his first thought was: Could this be the work of some master? However, when he touched the edge of the painting, the paint wasn't even completely dry...

"It was given to me by a Han Chinese older brother."

"A Han Chinese older brother?" Dawa Tundrup was taken aback.

Luo Bucuo is less than ten years old, and the people he calls "big brother" are at most in their early twenties.

How could a young man like him produce paintings of this caliber?
For a moment, Dawa Tundrup felt it was absurd; there must be some mistake.

"You mean, an older brother? An older brother?"

"Yes, he's an older brother."

How old does he look?

"Hmm... I think he's about the same age as Brother Zaxi."

Dawa Tundrup looked at Tashi, who was painting in the corner.

Tashi was only seventeen or eighteen years old, but his skin was dark, making him look like he was twenty.

Zaxi noticed the teacher's gaze and grinned.

Dawa Tundrup withdrew his gaze.

In an instant, Dawa Tundrup had the idea of ​​visiting the painter. "Could you tell me in detail who that older brother is?"

Seeing that his teacher did not criticize him, Luo Bucuo then began to recount everything he knew about Li Younan.

After listening, Dawa Tundrup frowned slightly and muttered to himself, "A tourist who came here?"

……

Li Younan was initially worried that camping here for a long time would be boring, but he didn't expect that shortly after he woke up from his afternoon nap, he would be greeted by a second visitor.

The other party arrived on Gyatso's motorcycle.

After a brief introduction, Li Younan realized that the visitor was actually a professional Thangka painter.

The other party's purpose in coming was quite simple—he was curious about the oil painting thangka in Luobucuo's hand, so he came to visit.

In just a few words, the other party roughly understood Li Younan's identity and background.

Li Younan, after all, holds the title of Honorary Expert Lecturer of the Palace Museum, a title that carries considerable weight.

Regardless of his achievements as a travel blogger, his very identity immediately commanded Dawa Tundrup's respect.

However, before discussing art, Dawa Tenzin was equally curious about Li Younan's RV.

Li Younan patiently repeated to Dawa Tundrup the content he had previously introduced to Gyatso.

The other party's reaction was similar to Gyatso's, showing both amazement and envy.

Afterwards, the three of them sat down and rested under the canopy tent.

"Teacher Li, have you also studied Thangka art?"

Dawa Tundrup spoke first, his tone full of admiration, "To be honest, laymen can't see the beauty in your painting, but I'm an expert. To be frank, I think it's even better than my teacher's painting!"

As a pure artist, Dawa Tundrup is well aware that the art world has always regarded those who have achieved mastery as their teachers.

The geniuses of this world cannot be measured by common sense—for example, Picasso won an honorary prize at the Madrid National Art Exhibition when he created "Science and Charity" at the age of 15; Dürer completed the oil painting "Self-Portrait" at the age of 22; and Pollock had already formed a unique style of abstract expressionism by the age of 30.

This can even be applied to various fields.

Newton founded calculus, discovered universal gravitation, and studied the dispersion of light when he was in his early twenties.

Einstein was 26 years old when he published his special theory of relativity, the photoelectric effect, and the theory of Brownian motion.

Mozart began composing at the age of 5 and started touring the country at the age of 6.

In fact, age is not the measure of a genius's achievements in any field.

His address of "Teacher Li" to Li Younan was heartfelt and respectful.

This left Gyatso, who was standing next to him, somewhat incredulous. Dawa Tundrup was a Thangka artist whom he greatly respected. He never expected that this young Han Chinese man with amazing fighting spirit would have such high attainments in art, and that even Dawa Tundrup had to call him his teacher.

Li Younan waved his hand: "I don't deserve such praise. I just happened to see some exquisite Thangka paintings and imitated them using other techniques. I hope I haven't offended your beliefs."

Dawa Tundrup shook his head: "Teacher Li, what are you saying? For people without faith, they can treat it as a jade pendant or a watch. Overly feudal and dogmatic ideas are meaningless."

"It is not only a product of the Buddhist system, but also an art form with national characteristics. In this respect, our practitioners are far more open and inclusive than you imagine."

"Ah."

Li Younan didn't intend to discuss this topic in much detail.

“The differences between various painting styles are quite significant.” Li Younan said, while casually dipping his brush in paint and quickly mixing a color, then smearing it onto the paper: “The Renaissance style, the core technique is multi-layered glazing, which makes the colors warm and translucent. A representative example is Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. If you used it to depict a Thangka painting, it would probably look like this…”

Li Younan sketched the outline, and in a short time, a lifelike Bodhisattva statue appeared on the canvas.

However, this is only a semi-finished product, but it roughly shows the essence of the whole painting.

But his freehand painting style immediately surprised Dawa Tundrup.

Li Younan didn't stop, continuing to mix colors and paint next to the canvas: "Then, the core technique of the Baroque style is the chiaroscuro method, using dynamic brushstrokes and large brushes to quickly sweep and paint to express the flow of light and shadow. However, this is more complicated. Perhaps when expressing details such as metal and fabric, a palette knife is used to scrape out the texture. But I think this painting method is also very suitable for expressing Thangka paintings."

Li Younan spent a longer time on this painting, completing about half of the entire canvas.

After finishing the painting, he casually tore the paper off the table and continued mixing colors: "Next, the core technique of Impressionism is short, juxtaposed brushstrokes, using short brushes of blue, white, and yellow to simulate shimmering light."

As Li Younan spoke, his hands moved without pause, his brushstrokes flowing smoothly and loosely across the paper. In this painting, the Buddha's main form retained its delicate outline, but the colors of the robes incorporated the blue of the sky, reflecting on the robes; the green of the grass tinged the edges of the lotus flowers…

At this moment, Dawa Tundrup was unable to say a word, his gaze fixed on Li Younan's technique.

Meanwhile, Gyatso, who had no idea what was going on, clapped excitedly, saying, "Well done! Well done!"

After finishing this painting, Li Younan took the paper off the canvas: "However, in comparison, I prefer the collision of Cubism and Thangka... using the geometric facets of Cubism and juxtaposing multiple points to deconstruct Thangka elements."

As he spoke, he quickly drew, and soon an image of Guanyin appeared on the paper. He explained, "It's like viewing a Thangka from multiple angles simultaneously..."

Li Younan painted for a while, then finally stopped, and smiled wryly—he had run out of paint, and was too lazy to get more. He then smiled and said, "That's roughly the feeling."

Dawa Tundrup picked up one of Li Younan's paintings, gazed at it for a long time, sighed deeply, and then looked at Li Younan with a complicated expression: "Teacher Li, you are proficient in so many painting techniques..."

"Hehe, it's just a hobby."

Li Younan said, "Thangka is, after all, an artwork with a certain religious character. On this point, my view is: style and technique are the surface, while the core of Thangka is the essence."

"The main elements of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Dharma protectors remain unchanged; elements such as lotus flowers, auspicious clouds, scriptures, and mandalas are not lost; the solemn and sacred atmosphere is preserved... The techniques of different schools are merely a means of expression, which allows traditional Thangkas to present the artistic texture of different eras."

Dawa Tundrup sat upright and bowed solemnly to Li Younan: "Teacher Li, what you said is in line with the direction we have been working towards all these years. Our Thangka painting also has six major schools, but the differences between them are not bold enough compared to the techniques you have shown!"

"Of course, the more important reason is that I think... it might be difficult to find another master like you who is so proficient in the techniques of various schools of painting. May I take these paintings back with me? I can pay you for them!"

Li Younan laughed heartily: "No need, no need, you can take it with you."

This discussion about Thangka painting art lasted for about two or three hours.

For Li Younan, having a wealth of skills but no one to talk to was quite a boring thing.

Having immersed himself in Thangka painting for decades, Dawa Tundrup naturally understood the painting techniques of various schools. Learning from others can be beneficial, which is why he was able to gain some inspiration from Li Younan's few words.

Li Younan has reached his limit. Although he can't get any inspiration from Dawa Tundrup, it's quite enjoyable to be a teacher to others on his own.

It was getting late, so Li Younan then invited the two of them to have tea.

Dawa Tundrup picked up the paintings and bid farewell to Gyatso before leaving.

Once Li Younan's RV had disappeared from sight, Dawa Tundrup said, "Gyatso, stop for a moment."

He got out of the car and carefully examined the paintings Li Younan had given him, remarking, "This trip was truly worthwhile."

Gyatso asked curiously, "Is that young man's painting very good?"

Dawa Tundrup laughed heartily: "Gyatso, even if you don't understand painting, you should be able to tell, right?"

Gyatso said somewhat embarrassedly, "Is it better than yours?"

Dawa Tundrup's expression turned serious: "Although this Professor Li is young, he is an honorary expert and professor at the Palace Museum! After talking with him today, I realized how high the level of those masters in the capital is... Compared to him, I am like a butter lamp compared to the moon in the sky."

"You're so lucky to have made friends with such a young master."

Gyatso looked surprised, nodded silently, and said nothing more.

The two set off again on their motorcycle.

……

After dinner, Li Younan lay on the sofa bed for a short nap, feeling a bit bored. Then he sat up and glanced at Liu Li, who was editing the footage recorded during the day.

Li Younan would not disturb Liu Li when she was focused on her work.

Feeling utterly bored, Li Younan turned on his game console and played a couple of rounds of "Tears of Zelda".

Compared to level-based games, this kind of free-exploration game is more suitable for leisure. You can play a couple of rounds when you're bored, and you can keep playing no matter where you start.

He tried building a mech warrior in the game, and it walked like a Parkinson's patient. He found it very interesting and wanted to share it with Liu Li.

However, when you look at Liu Li again, she is no longer editing videos. Instead, she is wearing an earpiece, writing and drawing in a notebook, and watching some online classes.

Li Younan looked puzzled, put down the controller, and slowly strolled over. He stood behind Liu Li and watched for a while. He saw that Liu Li was watching a Tibetan language course.

Li Younan found it somewhat amusing. Taking advantage of Liu Li's break when she put down her headphones, he suddenly spoke up: "You really want to focus on learning Tibetan?"

Liu Li turned her head: "You scared me."

"It seems those kids did a good job of introducing you to the world."

"no."

Liu Li sighed softly, but her expression became somewhat serious, a seriousness that Li Younan rarely saw on Liu Li's face.

Liu Li pressed the pause button, put the headset away, turned the ergonomic chair around to face Li Younan, touched her chin with one hand, and had a thoughtful expression on her face. After thinking for a while, she slowly said, "Li Younan, I'm quite confused right now."

Li Younan raised an eyebrow slightly, casually walked to the side, poured two glasses of water, and handed one to Liu Li.

"Ah."

Liu Li took the water glass, took a small sip, and continued, "When I was always at home, life was very simple. Being confined to that small place every day sounds painful, but it's not so bad once you get used to it."

"Later, I had a goal: to try my best to cure myself."

"In the process, in order to not be so useless and also hoping to help my brother, I taught myself editing and watched a lot of online courses."

"In short, although life is monotonous, it's not that boring, because I have goals."

"Later," Liu Li said, glancing at Li Younan before looking away, "after getting to know you, my desire to leave the house grew stronger and stronger."

"Anyway, a lot happened in between, and you were a participant... You know that, so I won't say more."

“I’m really out here. Standing here, at an altitude of nearly 4,000 meters, with a beautiful lake view, and a picturesque scene when I open the window… I can also interact with normal people now.”

"Although I still get nervous dealing with adults, I'm pretty sure it's just social anxiety."

"Ah."

Li Younan took a sip of water.

Liu Li took a deep breath and smiled faintly, but there was a hint of bewilderment in her smile: "I am a complete and happy person now... but suddenly it seems that I have lost the center of my life."

She looked up at Li Younan, "Can you understand this feeling?"

"I can probably understand that."

"Actually, at my age, most of my peers are probably still in college. I've basically lost touch with my junior high classmates, but I know that a large portion of them are enjoying their college years now."

“I didn’t go to college, I didn’t even finish high school. Actually, sometimes when I’m with you, I feel…inferior.”

"So... I will work hard to learn editing skills, watch a lot of excellent works, and try my best to keep up with you."

"You're so popular now, maybe in the future you'll find an editing team that's much better than Brother Long... I won't be sad, but I'll still feel regret."

Li Younan shook his head: "Knowledge can be a key to finding like-minded people, not a stepping stone to look down on others. You don't need to worry about it. There will always be people who want to connect with you, including me."

A serene smile appeared on Liu Li's face. This answer warmed her heart, and she nodded silently: "But that's not what I wanted to talk about today."

"I feel that now that my life has entered a new phase, there should be some other changes."

"I... just want to find a new goal."

"Is the new goal to learn Tibetan?"

"I haven't decided yet, but I... want to go to university!"

Liu Li frowned cutely, then looked up at Li Younan and mumbled a few words in Tibetan.

Li Younan blinked, then gave a somewhat speechless "heh," and said, "I don't understand."

Liu Li laughed: "I chatted with those kids today and discovered that I actually have quite a talent for languages."

“But Zerenni said you didn’t speak well.”

"..."

Liu Li struck Li Younan in the stomach with a Kamehameha.

"Ha... Stop fooling around, continue."

"Well, I think learning a language is quite interesting. You don't need to use your brain much to learn a language; it's just a lot of repetition. Once you can say it fluently, you've learned it."

As she spoke, Liu Li's gaze became clearer and brighter, and she became much more determined. "I want to learn a less commonly taught language... Do you think it's possible to get into university through adult self-study or other means?"

But then Liu Li shook her head: "Even if you say it's impossible, it's okay... We have to try to find out."

"When you're out in the game, what's the most important thing?" She paused, then continued, "The most important thing is to get out there."

Li Younan took a sip of water and nodded slightly: "The idea is quite good, but... even for adult college entrance exams, it's not enough to just study a niche language; you still need to study Chinese, math, English, physics, and chemistry..."

Liu Li said, "I know that. But no matter what, I want to give it a try."

"Starting tomorrow, I'm going to focus on my studies, haha!"

“Sure.” Li Younan laughed. “I have more experience in this area. You’re a test-taker from a small town… I can teach you.”

"Um……"

"However, we need to see what your background is like."

"My grades in junior high were pretty good, uh... I think! I think they were pretty good."

When Liu Li said "should", she herself didn't have much confidence.

"In a few days, when we go to the next city or county, I'll buy a set of textbooks and give you a test."

"I'm going to owe you a lot of things again..."

"The master can guide you through the door, but in the end, you still have to rely on yourself."

"I know this."

"Oh, by the way, there's a novel called 'Reborn Me, I Just Want to Focus on Studying,' you can take a look. It mentions a lot of useful study methods that you might find useful."

Liu Li lowered her head deeply.

She knew very well that besides the labels and accolades shown in the videos, Li Younan had another hidden attribute—a top student from one of the most prestigious universities in the country!

He was also the top scorer in their county's college entrance examination!
Although so many years have passed and she may not have grasped much of the knowledge as clearly as she did during the college entrance examination, her foundation is still there, and she should be more than capable of guiding someone with her educational background.

After acquiring a new goal, Liu Li's gaze was no longer filled with confusion, but became clear and firm.

Then she waved her hand at Li Younan: "Okay, okay, I need to continue learning Tibetan, don't bother me."

Li Younan snorted and turned away helplessly.

Little girl, used and discarded, how ridiculous!

Lying in bed, Liu Li softly recited to the computer screen: "ga, ka, ga, gia..."

It appears to be a syllable in Tibetan that resembles an English letter.

They're really serious.

……

The next day, Li Younan hurried out as soon as he got up. Generally speaking, when there is a sunrise, it is easy to see the golden mountains illuminated by the sun. Unfortunately, there was no sunrise today, and it was just another ordinary day.

Those silly kids who can fly and disappear are back again.

Looking at them... Li Younan thought of a few interesting games.

(End of this chapter)