Li Shutong

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Li Shutong (Chinese: 李叔同) (1880-1942) was a Chinese artist and art teacher. He also went by Wen Tao, Guang Hou , and Shu Tong. He is also commonly known as Buddhist Master Hong Yi (Simplified Chinese: 弘一大师). He was a master painter, musician, dramatist, calligrapher, seal cutter, poet, and Buddhist monk. He was born in Tianjin, though his ancestral home is in Pinghu, Zhejiang province.

In 1898 Li moved to Shanghai and joined the "Shanghai Painting and Calligraphy Association", and the "Shanghai Scholarly Society". At this time he attended Nanyang public school. In 1905 Li went to Japan to study at Tokyo's Shangye Art and Music School, specializing in western painting and music. In 1910 Li returned to China，and was appointed to Tianjin's Beiyang Advanced Industry School. The next year he was appointed as a music teacher at Shanghai's East Girl's School. In 1912 he became a professor at Zhejiang Secondary Normal School as a music and professor. 1915 he was hired by Jiang Qian to teach at Nanjing Advanced Normal School (renamed in 1949 to Nanjing University), and taught painting and music；he also taught at Zhejiang Secondary Normal School at the same time.

During this period of time, Li’s reputation grew, as he became the first Chinese educator to use nude models in his painting classes, as well as the first to teach Western music in China. Some of the students whom he personally groomed, went on to become accomplished masters of the arts in their later days. Li Shu Tong himself was also an accomplished composer and lyricist. Many of his compositions are still remembered and performed today.

In 1916, Li underwent a 17-day fast at a temple in Hangzhou, and experienced the benefit of a spiritual life. The following year, he took refuge in the Three Jewels of Buddhism. In 1918, Li began a new chapter in his life by choosing to be ordained as a monk. Thus began a holistic life dedicated to propagating Buddhism and its code of conduct. After becoming a monk he only practiced calligraphy, developing a simple and unadorned, yet unique style. He became known to all as Master Hong Yi. In 1942, Master Hong Yi passed away peacefully at the age of 63 in Quanzhou, Fujian Province.