WHERE'S THE MAGNIFICENT CHINESE JADE PAGODA?
Bitter Battle Over Chinese Pagoda at Oakland Museum
In a bitter fight over a piece of art at the Oakland Museum of California, a beautiful Chinese jade Pagoda has not been on display at the museum and hasn’t been for years. The creator's daughter says it's been neglected and should be moved. Robert Handa reports. (Published Wednesday, Oct 24, 2018)
In a bitter fight over a piece of art at the Oakland Museum of California, a beautiful Chinese jade Pagoda has not been on display at the museum and hasn’t been for years. The creator's daughter says it's been neglected and should be moved. Robert Handa reports. (Published Wednesday, Oct 24, 2018)
Author brings life to her father’s great legacy to the world
Mae Chang Koh announces release of ‘The Magnificent Chinese Jade Pagoda’
LAS VEGAS – Mae Chang Koh always had this guilty feeling about not telling the story of her father, John Wen Ti Chang. Chang Wen Ti, as he was known, in 1933 proudly presented these creations at the Chicago Century of Progress World Expo of which the Magnificent Jade Pagoda is the centerpiece. It has meant more than any child to him. She finally realized it would be lost to the world if she did not write about it, for no one else would be able to tell his story as he wanted it to be told.
In her debut book “The Magnificent Chinese Jade Pagoda: China’s Greatest Lost Treasure to the World”, the author attempts to carefully and creatively narrate the story of this one man’s creations, the most spectacular carvings of the most beautiful work of art from the largest boulder of jade by using the unbelievable talents of 150 Chinese artisans over 10 years of back breaking work in one of the most tumultuous periods of China. It tells how this one man devoted his entire life to making this jade pagoda an icon of peace as his legacy to the world.
It is an inspirational book that tells the story when, how and why of the ability of the Chinese artisans who though lived humble lives, were able to achieve this spectacular feat of creating this Magnificent Jade Pagoda to perfection. And it also tells about the man who had the conviction it would be an icon for peace; who God chose to bring it into the world,” the author tells.
In an excerpt from the book:
“In his mind, he wanted to create the most spectacular jade carving in all of history. “It had to be something, (he told me) that anyone looking at it would know it was Chinese. It had to please everyone who saw it and who would exclaim of its beauty and perfection”. This is the story of the magnificent Chinese Jade Pagoda.
Unfortunately, today, the guardians who have held it in a dungeon for 60 years are preparing it for burial. Their unwillingness to turn it over to the one place that would announce its rebirth, lavish it with the care and respect it deserves, to present it to the world was bypassed for burial to a tiny back water museum who will let it languish into oblivion.
How can I save it from oblivion? What should I do? How shall I fight for it to be brought to the Las Vegas Natural History Museum and the city that it deserves to be in? Who will help me in this “hopeless situation” to stop this from happening? Is this how this creation of God by the man who gave his life to creating and collecting the most beautiful and marvelous carvings that China has ever produced is to die a slow, painful, ignominious death?
Will the world just forget this priceless gift given to the people of the United States as a gesture of “Peace and Goodwill” on behalf of the people of China that they may now never see? This legacy was for the all the people of the world. No man was ever meant to own it. It was never to be sold, lent, broken up and was to be on perpetual display at no charge to anyone! The Museum of Oakland thinks it’s a white elephant and needs to be hidden away because they found no value in its great cultural and aesthetic work of art. Don’t you think it deserves a place of honor in a city that everyone in the world wants to visit so that they can one day see this perfect creation that could have been wrought by God’s own hand?
Las Vegas Natural History Museum located right on Cultural Corridor in the center of beautiful Las Vegas! People all over the world will come to see our national treasure, The Magnificent Chinese Jade Pagoda...
LVNHM Building For The Future
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