Madam Tsar Teh-yun (1905-2007) was born in Huzhou and grew up in Shanghai. In the late 1930s, she moved to Hong Kong, where she met qin master Shen Caonong from Xiaoshan and began her studies in qin. When Hong Kong fell to the Japanese occupation, they both returned to Shanghai, where her qin lessons continued. In 1950, she returned to Hong Kong once peace was restored.
Throughout her life, Madam Tsar distanced herself from fame and fortune, associating only with those who shared her interests and philosophies in art and life, and she remained unaffected by the hustle and bustle of the city. After returning to Hong Kong, she devoted herself to organizing music scores and refining her qin practice, seamlessly integrating poetry, calligraphy, and Kunqu into her performances, which were characterized by her graceful and fluid hand movements. Upon receiving sincere invitations from friends, she began teaching qin. She carefully chose students who demonstrated a commitment to learning. During the 1960s and 1970s, when qin activities were suppressed in Mainland China, Madam Tsar continued to pursue her musical ideals and practices in Hong Kong, dedicating herself to preserving the qin tradition.
After her passing, the Deyin Qin Society was appointed to manage her collection of manuscripts and documents. To ensure the precious collection is appropriately preserved, the Society began successively donating it in early 2023 to three departments at The Chinese University of Hong Kong: the Art Museum, the University Library, and the Centre for Chinese Music Studies within the Department of Music. The University Library now holds manuscripts of guqin scores compiled by Madam Tsar and her teacher Shen Caonong, along with other music scores, teaching materials, performance documents, and correspondence between qin musicians.
Additionally, to make these materials more accessible, the Society initiated a fundraising campaign to support the digitization of the collection. Generous contributions were received from Society members, including Ding Ning, Lee Heung-sing, Lee Wai-law, Ho Wing-tze, John Yiu, Chan Kai-yu, Raymond Yuen, Luk Wai-yan, Wong Chi-fong, Wong Kwok-tin Martin, Bell Yung, Lau Chor-wah, Tse Chun-yan, Sou Si-tai, and an anonymous donor.
We hope that this collection will contribute to teaching and learning, research, and promotion of traditional arts and culture.
Sou Si-tai
Chairman, Deyin Qin Society
December 2024
