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“Emperors in China have
always been calligraphers.”
-Tsang Tsou-Choi, 84
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For 50 years, Tsang Tsou-Choi has expressed his belief that
his family is the rightful ruler of Kowloon, an area of Hong Kong,
by writing his claim on lamps, pavements, walls and pillars. His
work has been constantly removed and he's often been arrested,
but neither the departure of his wife–who got sick of his
obsession–nor the absence of any records backing up his claim
have shaken his conviction. The contents of his calligraphy usually
contain some or all of the following: his name, his title (King or
Emperor of China, Kowloon or Hong Kong, depending); a list of 20
or so ancestors, with new additions from time to time; the names
of some famous Chinese emperors and phrases such as, “Down
with the Queen of England.” Now that his poor health has forced
him into a retirement home, he continues his calligraphic campaign
on towels, plastic cups and bed sheets, and tells visitors that
Donald Tsang–the chief executive of Hong Kong–is an impostor,
and that he should have been elected instead. The work of the
world's oldest graffiti artist is now on the official list of “Hong Kong
identity symbols to be protected,” and one piece of wood he painted
sold for HK$8,600 (US$1,100) at auction last year. “I don't care about
money and fame,” he told COLORS recently in an increasingly rare
interview (his “manager” now restricts access). “They should just
give me back the throne. I am not an artist–I am simply the King.”
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