Kaixiang Zhang
about
Chuān
The river flows, and all rivers flow together.
Reading this line by the poet Rumi sparked a deep realization: my upbringing, my memories, and my philosophical outlook have always been intimately intertwined with water. Growing up in a coastal city in China, and later navigating life across Bournemouth, London, and Eastbourne, I have found myself in a constant, unfolding dialogue with oceans, rivers, and streams.
Water serves a dual purpose in my life. It acts as a bridge, connecting my displaced, diasporic existence back to the distant, moonlit memories of my homeland. Simultaneously, the relentless rising and falling of the tides serve as a poignant reminder of the ceaseless passage of time, evoking classical philosophical contemplations on mortality, transience, and the infinity of nature. We are each like a solitary boat ferrying across the river of time, gathering and parting amidst the surges, drifting toward a shared destination. Yet, what truly constitutes “home” when everything around and within us is in a state of perpetual, ceaseless change?