Encounters in China | Kimio Iwamoto and Ma Zhensheng

Kimio Iwamoto and Ma Zhensheng
After retiring in Japan, Kimio Iwamoto came to Beijing Language and Culture University with his wife for further study. While he was learning calligraphy in China, he met Prof. Ma Zhensheng. That was during the urban renewal of Beijing, and some “mendun” (stone sculptures supporting the axle of a door) were abandoned from traditional Beijing buildings. During his spare time, Kimio Iwamoto grew interested in these stone structures, and, realizing that these abandoned mendun were to become a batch of cultural relics that symbolize an era, he decided to protect and collect mendun. This decision was supported by Prof. Ma Zhensheng, who helped build a “Zhenshi Park” (zhenshi, literally “pillow stone,” is another name for mendun) on the campus of Beijing Language and Culture University. On the eve of graduation and returning to Japan, Kimio Iwamoto gave more than 3,000 valuable photos of mendun to Prof. Ma as a gift. Over the years, the teacher-student friendship between them has been demonstrated and developed during the process of protecting mendun.
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