Photo credit: Loh Kee Beng

IN MALAYSIA, Chinese calligraphy is commonly found—from the carved signs on shop fronts and buildings to red strips of auspicious couplets hung on walls indoors. Tsue Ta Tee (崔大地) was one of the prominent calligraphers active in Penang and the region in the 1950s and ‘60s, who helped to leave this important legacy on Penang’s cityscape.

From 30 March to 3 April this year, an exhibition was held in the Dewan Undangan Negeri to commemorate his artistic achievement. The Tsue Ta Tee Calligraphy Exhibition, supported by the Penang Calligraphy Association among others, showcased the late calligrapher’s art pieces, which had been collected by his disciples, alongside their research.

Based on an interview with Lee Soo Chee, an assistant professor at the Institute of Chinese Studies at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), who draws his insights from the research done by Tsue’s disciples in Singapore and Malaysia, this article explores the calligrapher’s life and works.[1]

Tsue Ta Tee (1903-1974): An Artist Migrates South

More likely than not, in Penang, you would have frequently encountered Tsue Ta Tee’s calligraphy without realising it. His work graces the buildings of many Chinese associations, including a masterpiece at the Hui An Association. It also appears in temples such as Kek Lok Si, where his “Namo Amituofo” inscription is displayed, in Chinese schools, on signages for traditional businesses, clubs like the Mor Hun Club (once a gathering place for Teochew businessmen living in Northern Malaysia), hotels as well as organisations.

Born in early 20th-century Beijing, Tsue, who lost his parents when he was young, was profoundly shaped by the political upheaval and revolutionary ideas of the time. Records suggest he was either an educator or a soldier fighting Japanese forces. By 1931, he was in Northeast China and in 1937, as the Japanese invasion intensified, he moved south to Hebei province with anti-Japanese troops. Tsue likely lost his family during the Japanese Occupation, forcing him to continue his journey south alone.

His name, Tsue Ta Tee, is suggested to have been a pseudonym to evade wartime capture. Ta Tee, meaning “earth”, aptly reflects his subsequent migratory lifestyle and his unwavering commitment to calligraphy, even as he roamed the world.

In 1943, at 40, Tsue travelled to Guangdong, then Macau. Some accounts even suggest he had walked from Southern China to Vietnam (Annam), and stayed there for a year. He then continued his journey to Southeast Asia, where he lived until his death in Singapore in 1974. Widely recognised in Singapore and Malaysia as a first-generation calligraphy artist, he tirelessly nurtured generations of students over the decades, profoundly influencing the art of Chinese calligraphy in both countries.

Coming To Penang

While travelling solo in Southeast Asia, Tsue brought only a few calligraphy brushes with him. His talent, once discovered by the locals, connected him with many individuals who would support his career. In 1945, after World War II, a prominent figure based in Thailand but from Penang helped him organise a calligraphy exhibition. A year later, he met Huang Man Shi (黃曼氏), an influential art collector and Chinese community leader in Singapore, who suggested he move to Penang.

Huang’s connections led Tsue Ta Tee to Loh Cheng Chuan (骆清泉), a major art patron and a leading figure in Penang’s Chinese community. Loh was highly influential, and generously supported many Chinese artists who visited Penang. Living only a few doors from Tsue, Loh and his family cared for and supported him. Their patronage was especially important; Chinese associations were central to Chinese art and cultural activities at the time. A notable member of the Hui An Association, Loh recommended that Tsue undertake the crafting of the association’s signboard. This work, meticulously supervised by Loh to ensure its proper inscription, became one of Tsue’s masterpieces in Penang.

Without a formal job here, Tsue relied entirely on his calligraphy for income—though he was known to charge his services very modestly. Older residents who had met him during that period recalled his initial fascination with the city; in his first few days in George Town, he eagerly hired a trishaw to show him around, observing the streetscapes and shops there.

Aside from Loh and his family, Ingrid Zhou, a Malaysian and Tsue’s long-time disciple, was a critical figure in his life. She accompanied him for years in both Penang and Singapore, and was indispensable in preserving and researching his work after his death. Zhou remembered the calligrapher's daily life in Penang: he earned about two dollars, spending six cents on a newspaper and the rest on food. This incredibly simple, almost austere, existence was a testament to his profound mental discipline, and allowed him endless hours for his artistic pursuits.

While Tsue’s calligraphy, often seen on signboards, was mostly written in the Han clerical script (汉隶), showcasing both stillness and dynamism, its foundation lay firmly in Han Dynasty steles (汉碑). For years, he diligently mastered a wide range of styles, including Oracle Bone Script and Wei Stele calligraphy. Crucially, his unique style blends elements of Zhangcao (章草) and Jincao (今草), incorporating their brushwork and creative intent to create a harmonious mix of static and moving elements. Tsue’s calligraphy embodies five key characteristics: grandeur, thickness, weight, stability and profundity. In his time, his style was considered very unique and distinctive among Chinese calligraphers in the region.

From 1953 to 1955, Tsue embarked on a significant trip to England. This journey opened his eyes to the British Museum’s collection of oracle bone inscriptions, allowing him to examine original artifacts firsthand. This immersive experience profoundly influenced his calligraphy. His oracle bone brushwork, particularly its “knife-like” energy, visibly improved after this trip, elevating his calligraphic techniques to a new level through diligent study.

Upon returning to Penang, Tsue remained there until 1965, when he moved to Singapore. During this period, he was incredibly prolific, holding several exhibitions across Malaysia. He actively engaged with Penang’s literary and art circles, leaving behind many valuable pieces still visible today. Penang was a profoundly significant stop for the calligrapher before he finally settled in Singapore, where he focused on both artistic creation and calligraphy education until his passing in 1974.

Preserving Tsue's Legacy

Tsue Ta Tee’s influence extends beyond his artistic creations. After his passing, the first generation of his disciples—among them Tan Gian Seng and Ingrid Zhou—diligently worked to preserve and research his legacy, a continuation Lee Soo Chee, a second-generation disciple, expresses profound gratitude for.

Tsue's decade-long residence in Penang significantly shaped his calligraphic heritage. More than just a master calligrapher, his commitment to art education ensured that his legacy would inspire future generations. This recent exhibition in Penang and ongoing research efforts are the result of immense dedication from his students and from researchers in both Malaysia and Singapore, all collectively striving to safeguard Tsue’s calligraphy as an intangible cultural heritage.

While his works are an undeniably powerful artistic expression, a deeper study of his works and the people he interacted with reveals a much broader narrative—these seemingly small and scattered encounters contributed to building a “micro-history” of Penang that, when combined, forms a complete and vibrant “macro-history” of the city. Tsue’s life and his connections and interactions with the locals are crucial in reconstructing the everyday lives of ordinary Penangites in the 1950s and ’60s, particularly highlighting the journeys and contributions of these “southern migrants”—artists and writers who left indelible marks on the city.

FOOTNOTE

[1] See also: Calligraphy by Tsue Ta Tee, ed. Tan Gian Seng (陈健诚), Lee Soo Chee (李树枝) and Tan Chee Lay (陈志锐) (Noble Cultural Hub PLT, 2025).