Over the Nu River Grand Canyon, a pair of birds in white and black forms a shape of infinite. They are legendary bird(s), the “biyi bird” ( in chinese biyi niao, birds flying wing to wing ) -- The biyi bird is a one-eyed, one-winged mythical creature in which each entity is half of a bird, such that only when a male and female pair up and fly together, can they become a whole bird. It later become a metaphore for a loving couple. There are many interpretations on this legendary bird(s), one of Bai juyi the Fairy Poet's most well-known works “Chang hen ge”(Song of Everlasting Regret), illustrates the immortal love story between Emperor Minghuang of Tang and his Imperial Consort Yang, making reference to this legendary bird(s) within four parts: Falling in Love, The Inseparable Couple, Farewell to Lover, and finally Reunification in Fairyland.
According to legend, there are still flying bird people on both sides of the Nu River Grand Canyon. For these mysterious villageois, their lives are paradis-like and they lead an ideal existence in harmony with nature, as they live remotely outside from the world, that's why they can fly, also find and join the legendary biyi birds. In the sky where the sun and the moon shine together, the wonderful sound of Kalavinka descends from the sky. After the sound from heaven passes through the Biyi birds, it flows into a turbulent Nujiang on the ground.
Originally used as a metaphor for loving couples, the Biyi is drawn as the form of Jivajivaka. The white bird looks toward the sun and the moon, and the black bird is drawn into the chain of twelve Nidanas which is intertwined with the white bird. The texture under the white bird is outlined by plaster, and its modelling takes into account the local characteristics of Yunnan cloth patterns. The white bird's cloudlike chiffon skirt has been drawn as wedding dress.
The fable on Jivajivaka is returned primarily on Vinayavastu of the Mulasarvastivada Vinaya. in the Nirvana Sutra is called "mingming niao", in the Pravara-deva-raja-pariprccha Sutra is called "shengsheng niao", in the Shorter Sukhavativyuha Sutra and the Miscellaneous Treasures Sutra is called "gongming niao". The Jivajivaka fable is related to an entanglement of Dharma(the order that makes life and universe possible) and Adharma(disharmony, unnaturalness) life after life.
The fable says that Jivajivaka bird has one body and two heads, one is called Dharma, and the other is called Adharma. One day, While the latter was asleep, Dharma saw a tasty-looking fruit and ate it, considering that, as their body was the same, it would be nourishing for both of them. When Adharma awoke, he smelt something good and criticised Dharma for eating by himself. Later, when Dharma was asleep, Adharma ate a poisonous fruit and thus, both of them died. On the verge of death, Adharma swore to harm Dharma in every future live, while Dharma wished to be his good friend forever. The eternal perplexity within the human?s emotions, and the real key to liberation is fully in this Jivajivaka fable.

***************

Afterword:

This work was originally a commission for a collaborative project whose background is a very beautiful and moving story on the biyi bird legend. It is also related to the pursuit for lost souls under modernity. Marriage in this work, is regarded as symbol of harmony, and an ideal and belief that allows people to fly. But I wish to give a deeper meaning and pictoriality on “marriage” and love. For exemple, in addition to the union between lovers, marriage is also about the combination of “come”(the Nu River descending from the sky) and “go” (the flying bird people), of sun and moon, of sky ( Kalavinka ) and earth (flying people), and I chose the J?vaj?vaka legend of buddhist fables as extension. I remembered a dream I had during my painting: the black bird and the white bird are entangled life after life, and they win upon each other alternatively. In the end, the white bird finally swallows the black bird completely, then the entire sky is filled with the white bird. Meanwhile the voice-over sounds: You have to repent completely! After waking up I meditate on this dream for a while. In this work, I deliberately highlight the white bird and weaken the black bird. It is probably the embodiment of my heart that is still not enough strong to keep the equanimity?