Fang Cheng, originally named Sun Shunchao, is from Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, born in 1918. Honorary Chairman of the China Association for News Cartoon Studies. He graduated from the Department of Chemistry at Wuhan University in his youth and served as an assistant researcher at the Huanghai Chemical Industry Research Society; editor-in-chief of the cartoon section and special contributor to the Shanghai “Observation” Weekly; senior editor at the People’s Daily, retiring in 1986.
In the compound of the People’s Daily, there are about four thousand editors and reporters. Among them, the healthiest and longest-living person is probably the 87-year-old cartoon master Fang Cheng.
Simple living in eating, sleeping, and traveling
Fang Cheng’s philosophy of life is going with the flow. This is first reflected in his attitude toward life. Not long ago, he was hospitalized due to bladder tumor (later found to be benign), which worried many people. But he himself remained indifferent. On the second day after surgery, when we visited him in the hospital, we saw him with rosy cheeks, chatting and laughing with the nurses. At that time, he still didn’t know whether his tumor was malignant or benign. A few days after surgery, he urgently wanted to be discharged. The next day, he traveled from Dongcheng to Xicheng to attend a seminar. Others advised him to rest, but he laughed heartily: “Nothing serious.” That’s Fang Cheng.
Fang Cheng’s meals have a unique character. One autumn-winter season, when the north wind suddenly blew, I visited him. It was nearly noon, and he invited me to have lunch. The meal was very simple, but nutritionally rich: mutton stewed with large white radishes, plus sesame flatbread. He said he always prepares a big pot, enough to last several days.
For decades, his home has never been spacious. Only after turning 80 did he move into a 160-square-meter apartment with four rooms, two bathrooms, and two halls. He was very satisfied, calling it a “five-star hotel.”
Fang Cheng’s mode of transportation is even more distinctive. For decades, he has used a bicycle as his primary means of transport. When he was nearly 80, once my friend Zhu Genhua and I accompanied him to the People’s Theatre to watch a play. We both rode bicycles. Despite being in our fifties and him in his sixties, neither of us could keep up with Fang Cheng. From behind, he looked like a robust young man. Fang Cheng had deep affection for his old bicycle, which he had ridden for decades. He once drew a famous self-portrait with this “ride” as the background. Last year, a friend gifted him a high-end bicycle, replacing his old one. For a long time afterward, Fang Cheng kept missing his old “friend.”
Published over 40 books after retirement
In the summer of 2003, at the age of over 85, Fang Cheng wrote a “three-line half-verse,” vividly depicting his daily life: “Life has always been ordinary, riding bikes, drawing cartoons, writing articles—health preservation relies on just one word: busy.”
Fang Cheng’s “busy” refers to mental and physical activity. Since his retirement in 1986, nearly 20 years have passed, during which he has published over 40 books. His habit of diligently using both mind and body began in his youth. Those who know him well know that Fang Cheng took up cartooning as a second career, self-taught, never attending art school. He succeeded through diligent study and hard practice. After liberation, he began creating political satirical cartoons, thanks to collaboration with Zhong Ling. They would meticulously study and copy each other’s work, sometimes working through the night. Often, in the middle of the night, an editor would call requesting a cartoon to accompany a commentary. Without hesitation, Fang Cheng would immediately get up, read the article, brainstorm ideas, and deliver the finished artwork to the editorial department. This work ethic has followed him to this day.
Enjoys cycling, dislikes idle gossip
Fang Cheng has always been active since childhood, enjoying various sports. His main fitness routine is walking and cycling. Recently, he often arrives early at the newspaper’s basketball court to play tai chi with old friends. In short, everything in Fang Cheng’s life is spontaneous and natural.
“Cultivating the heart” is also Fang Cheng’s approach to health preservation. When encountering unpleasant events in life, he remains calm and never gets angry. He once inscribed a poem on a portrait of sculptor Liu Kaiqu: “At seventy, it’s rare; Old Liu is now eighty-seven. Ask how he lives so long? He doesn’t compete with common folk.” This transcendent mindset makes Fang Cheng appear more than twenty years younger than his actual age. After turning 80, Fang Cheng became slightly deaf. Instead of feeling discouraged, he often joked: “Not hearing idle gossip is itself a pleasure.”
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