{"id":55007,"date":"2026-04-16T07:11:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T21:11:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/?p=55007"},"modified":"2026-04-16T13:24:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T03:24:59","slug":"hong-xiuquans-american-brother-orban-goes-and-the-kmt-pays-court-dashengs-calligraphic-comments-on-current-affairs-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/hong-xiuquans-american-brother-orban-goes-and-the-kmt-pays-court-dashengs-calligraphic-comments-on-current-affairs-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"Hong Xiuquan\u2019s American Brother, Orb\u00e1n Goes and the KMT Comes \u2014 Dasheng\u2019s Calligraphic Comments on Current Affairs (II)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/the-other-china\/\"><em><strong>The Other China<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Liu Chan \u5289\u87fe, who also goes by the pen name Dasheng \u5927\u751f, is a writer, scholar and calligrapher. Born in Shaanxi, he lives in Beijing where he edits <em>The Chinese Study<\/em> \u4e2d\u570b\u66f8\u623f. We have frequently featured Liu\u2019s work in <a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/the-other-china\/\"><em>The Other China<\/em><\/a>\u00a0(for details, see below).<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Dasheng\u2019s Calligraphic Comments\u2019 are an innovative use of an ancient art from. In them, Liu Chan uses a quasi-poetic couplet to sum up recent events in the news, often juxtaposing items that seemingly have little in common. In the colophons that he composes \u2014 they run vertically at either side of the lines of the couplet \u2014 the calligrapher elaborates on the news items that have been highlighted poetically.<\/p>\n<p>Although he is relatively young, Liu Chan often affects the style of an \u2018old fogey\u2019, one that allows him considerable latitude in commenting on, and gently satirising, the welter of current affairs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">***<\/p>\n<p><em>China Heritage<\/em> is grateful to Dasheng for sharing his recent work. Explanatory notes and other relevant material have been added. For a previous chapter in this series, see:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/war-openclaw-and-ceos-dashengs-calligraphic-comments-on-currentaffairs\/\">War, OpenClaw and CEOs \u2014 Dasheng\u2019s Calligraphic Comments on Current Affairs<\/a> (I), 20 March 2026; and,<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/a-different-kind-of-deluge-at-davos-a-calligraphic-comment-from-beijing\/\">A Different Kind of Deluge at Davos \u2014 a calligraphic comment from Beijin<\/a>g, 24 January 2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">\u2014 Geremie R. Barm\u00e9<br \/>\nEditor, <em>China Heritage<\/em><br \/>\n16 April 2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">***<\/p>\n<p><strong>Liu Chan in<em> The Other China<\/em>:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/liu-chans-memorial-for-the-departed\/\">Liu Chan\u2019s Memorial for the Departed<\/a>, 12 January 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/on-rumours-lies-dashengs-little-lectures\/\">On Rumours &amp; Lies \u2014 Dasheng\u2019s Little Lectures<\/a>, 16 January 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/\">Brainwashing <i>vs.<\/i> Educating \u2014 Dasheng\u2019s Little Lectures<\/a>, 17 January 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/resisting-cultural-capture-dashengs-little-lectures\/\">Resisting Cultural Capture \u2014 Dasheng\u2019s Little Lectures<\/a>, 18 January 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/in-the-eyes-of-the-beholder-dashengs-little-lectures\/\">In the Eyes of the Beholder \u2014 Dasheng\u2019s Little Lectures<\/a>, 19 January 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/a-protection-mantra-for-the-year-of-the-rabbit\/\">A Protection Mantra for the Year of the Rabbit<\/a>, 22 January 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/praise-for-the-orange-tree-remembering-the-plum\/\">Praise for the Orange Tree, Remembering the Plum<\/a>, 8 February 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/high-peaks-translucent-torrents\/\">High Peaks, Translucent Torrents<\/a>, 24 February 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/craven-servile-knaves-hold-office\/\">Craven, Servile Knaves Hold Office<\/a>, 7 March 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/shades-of-mao-children-spying-on-parents-fragile-hearts-in-patriotic-drag-and-the-fish-wife-who-trolled-ukraine\/\">Shades of Mao \u2014 Children Spying on Parents, Fragile Hearts in Patriotic Drag and the Fish Wife who Trolled Ukraine<\/a>, 9 September 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/liu-chans-calligraphic-comment-on-7-october-2023\/\">Liu Chan\u2019s Calligraphic Comment on 7 October 2023<\/a>, 8 October 2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/caged-birds-and-turd-flowers-in-xi-jinpings-china\/\">Caged Birds and Turd Blossoms<\/a>, 1 March 2024<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/liu-chans-studiolo-of-the-heart\/\">Liu Chan\u2019s Studiolo of the Heart<\/a>, 5 March 2025<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/a-different-kind-of-deluge-at-davos-a-calligraphic-comment-from-beijing\/\">A Different Kind of Deluge at Davos \u2014 a calligraphic comment from Beijin<\/a>g, 24 January 2026<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/war-openclaw-and-ceos-dashengs-calligraphic-comments-on-currentaffairs\/\">War, OpenClaw and CEOs \u2014 Dasheng\u2019s Calligraphic Comments on Current Affairs<\/a> (I), 20 March 2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Liu Chan\u2019s work also features in:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/xi-jinpings-harvest-from-reaping-garlic-chives-to-exploiting-huminerals\/\">Xi Jinping\u2019s Harvest \u2014 from reaping Garlic Chives to exploiting Huminerals<\/a>, 6 January 2023; \u00a0and,<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/xi-jinpings-harvest-an-anthem-for-chinas-disaffected-huminerals\/\">Xi Jinping\u2019s Harvest \u2014 an anthem for China\u2019s disaffected Huminerals<\/a>, 7 January 2023.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>See also:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dasheng, <a href=\"https:\/\/open.substack.com\/pub\/ctexp\/p\/trump-and-dirty-hands-in-politics?r=4gssn&amp;utm_medium=ios\">Trump and \u201cDirty Hands\u201d in Politics<\/a>, <em>China Thought Express<\/em>, 11 March 2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Hong Xiuquan\u2019s <\/strong><strong>American <\/strong><strong>Younger Brother<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-55008\" src=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bc55c45f-a0bb-4e9c-9711-02e7170328d2-1024x785.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"491\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bc55c45f-a0bb-4e9c-9711-02e7170328d2-1024x785.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bc55c45f-a0bb-4e9c-9711-02e7170328d2-300x230.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bc55c45f-a0bb-4e9c-9711-02e7170328d2-768x589.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bc55c45f-a0bb-4e9c-9711-02e7170328d2.jpeg 1320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Trump posted an image of himself as a saviour. We all know that God\u2019s son was Jesus and that Hong Xiuquan [<em>leader of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom<\/em>] claimed that he was [<em>Christ\u2019s Chinese<\/em>] \u00a0Younger Brother. This would make Donald Trump son number three and it means that, henceforth, Hong Xiuquan not only has a Heavenly Father, Heavenly Mother, Heavenly Brother and Heavenly Sister-in-Law, he\u2019s also got a Heavenly Younger Brother and a Heavenly Younger Sister-in-Law.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-55015\" src=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_1852-150x150.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_1852-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_1852-300x292.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_1852-768x747.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_1852.jpeg 908w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 50px) 100vw, 50px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>[<em>Note<\/em>: For more on Donald Trump\u2019s apotheosis, see <a href=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/journal\/cheeto-christ-stupid-czar-yes-peter-thiel-donald-trump-is-the-antichrist\/\">Cheeto Christ Stupid-Czar \u2014 Yes, Peter Thiel, Donald Trump is the Antichrist<\/a>. We\u2019d observe that things did not end up too well for God\u2019s \u2018Chinese Son\u2019.]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">\u2014 <em>trans GRB<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">***<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Artemis II Circles the Moon &amp; the KMT Pays Court in Beijing<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-55010\" src=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/93a0c359-5749-4fec-8278-b6411835dae4-609x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"609\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/93a0c359-5749-4fec-8278-b6411835dae4-609x1024.jpeg 609w, https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/93a0c359-5749-4fec-8278-b6411835dae4-179x300.jpeg 179w, https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/93a0c359-5749-4fec-8278-b6411835dae4-768x1291.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/93a0c359-5749-4fec-8278-b6411835dae4-914x1536.jpeg 914w, https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/93a0c359-5749-4fec-8278-b6411835dae4.jpeg 952w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 609px) 100vw, 609px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Artemis II, an American crewed lunar flyby mission, was launched on 1 April 2026, successfully splashing down on 10 April. Its significance lay in the fact that this was the first space mission that had flown beyond low Earth orbit in over half a century. Oddly enough, quite a few specialists [<em>in China<\/em>] offered various absurd interpretations of and commentaries on the subject.<\/p>\n<p>Then there was Cheng Li-wun, chairperson of the KMT Nationalist Party in Taiwan. From 7 to 12 April, during a formal visit to the People\u2019s Republic of China, Cheng put on such a nauseatingly fawning and ingratiating display that one presumes that it merely served to further alienate voters back in Taiwan.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">\u2014 <em>Dasheng Liu Chan, 10 April 2026<br \/>\ntrans GRB<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">***<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Orb\u00e1n\u2019s Exit &amp; Ukraine\u2019s Progress<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-55009\" src=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/b4bf1f9c-f8cf-4221-8b47-67068a73ebb9-599x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"599\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/b4bf1f9c-f8cf-4221-8b47-67068a73ebb9-599x1024.jpeg 599w, https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/b4bf1f9c-f8cf-4221-8b47-67068a73ebb9-176x300.jpeg 176w, https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/b4bf1f9c-f8cf-4221-8b47-67068a73ebb9-768x1313.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/b4bf1f9c-f8cf-4221-8b47-67068a73ebb9-899x1536.jpeg 899w, https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/b4bf1f9c-f8cf-4221-8b47-67068a73ebb9.jpeg 936w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Suddenly, everyone was paying attention to the election in Hungary because it would determine the future of Viktor Orb\u00e1n\u2019s sixteen-year-long hard-right conservative pro-Russian authoritarian rule, one that had proved to be a chronic problem for the EU. During the election campaign, Orb\u00e1n enjoyed the support of Washington, Moscow and various other countries. US vice-president JD Vance even travelled to Budapest to help Orb\u00e1n\u2019s campaign. None of this saved the regime from a devastating defeat at the hands of the opposition. Might this perhaps be a sign that right-wing politics might face other defeats?<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, news from the front in the Ukraine War is encouraging. Russian oil refineries have been struck repeatedly and Ukrainian forces have achieved notable territorial gains. These are further reasons to be confident about the future.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">\u2014 <em>Dasheng Liu Chan, 13 April 2026<br \/>\ntrans GRB<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Other China Liu Chan \u5289\u87fe, who also goes by the pen name Dasheng \u5927\u751f, is a writer, scholar and calligrapher. Born in Shaanxi, he lives in Beijing where he edits The Chinese Study \u4e2d\u570b\u66f8\u623f. We have frequently featured Liu\u2019s work in The Other China\u00a0(for details, see below). \u2018Dasheng\u2019s Calligraphic Comments\u2019 are an innovative use [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":55027,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-journal"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_1854.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9gcZ6-ejd","post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55007"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55007"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55007\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55041,"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55007\/revisions\/55041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chinaheritage.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}