Meihua Daoren yimo 梅花道人遺墨

Meihua Daoren yimo 梅花道人遺墨, also known as Mei Daoren yimo 梅道人遺墨, are the collected writings of Wu Zhen 吳鎮 (1280-1354), who also authored the book Wen Huzhou zhupai 文湖州竹派.

Wu Zhen's poems and writings were never compiled or published during his lifetime, resulting in losing most of them. In the late Ming period 明 (1368-1644), his fellow townsman Qian Fen 錢棻 (juren degree 1642) collected Wu Zhen's calligraphy, paintings, and ink works, transcribing and compiling them into a collection that became this book.

The text is divided into two juan, organised by literary form and categorised as follows: regular poems (shi 詩), lyric-metre poems (ci 詞), Buddhist verses (gāthā, ji 偈), and artwork inscriptions (ti-ba 題跋). The first volume contains "ancient-style" poems (wugu 五古), "seven-character" ancient-style poems (qigu 七古), regulated five-character poems (wulü 五律), regulated seven-character poems (qilü 七律), four-character poems (siyan 四言), five-character quatrains (wujue 五絶), and seven-character quatrains (qijue 七絶).

Wu Zhen enjoyed adding inscriptions to his paintings and was renowned during his lifetime for his mastery of poetry, calligraphy, and painting, earning him the title of the "Triple Unmatched" (sanjue 三絶) in these arts. From these inscriptions, later generations can glimpse his involvement in the field of painting, his thoughts on learning and creating art, and some of his painting theories.

The book contains extensive records on ink bamboo. In concise descriptions, Wu Zhen summarised the key aspects of successful ink bamboo painting, emphasising the importance of positioning the stem, joints, branches, and leaves, along with brushwork techniques and ink usage. Additionally, he briefly addressed common mistakes in painting ink bamboo, the method for layering leaves, and the taboos to avoid.

He argued that if scholars wish to transcend the ordinary and achieve exceptional skill, they must first cultivate the image of bamboo in their minds. However, Wu Zhen especially despised those who sought to pursue the lofty and unattainable, hastily rushing through stages, recklessly applying their emotions, and employing chaotic painting methods. He emphasised that learning to paint ink bamboo should adhere to rules and principles. Wu Zhen's "Bamboo Manual" Zhupu 竹譜 was inspired by Li Kan's 李衎 (1244-1320) famous Xizhai zhupu 息齋竹譜," which was specifically written for beginners. Its main feature is the focus on visual instruction, with straightforward text largely explained through illustrations. Wu Zhen believed that the most concise and effective way to learn ink bamboo was to carefully study the genuine works of renowned predecessors, such as Wen Yuke, who was considered unparalleled in his bamboo painting.

While Wu Zhen's mastery of ink bamboo can be traced to Wen Tong 文同（1018-1079), it was mainly influenced by Gao Kegong's 高克恭 (1248-1310) teachings. Furthermore, Wu Zhen dedicated substantial effort to copying Dong Yuan's 董源 (10th cent.) landscape paintings.

Wu Zhen's poems and inscriptions primarily explore the artistic atmosphere of painting and reveal his inner feelings, emphasising the literary nature of Yuan-period 元 (1279-1368) painting. The works included in this book consist of his inscriptions on paintings, ranging from brief two-line verses to more elaborate pieces exceeding a hundred words.

The compilation and organisation of this book occurred several centuries after Wu Zhen's time, making it inevitable that some omissions and errors arose. The imperial book catalogue Siku quanshu zongmu tiyao 四庫全書總目提要 has identified some of these mistakes, such as incorrectly including a poem by Xianyu Shu 鮮于樞 (1246-1302) that Wu Zhen had written, treating it as one of Wu Zhen's collected poems.

The text is included in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書, Xiaoyuan congshu 嘯園叢書 and Meishu congshu 美術叢書.