Master Hongyi
Engraving work of Master Hong Yi: Buddha Statue, made after Hong Yi's forties
Master Hongyi refers to Li Shutong (1880-1942), a famous painter, writer, musician, art educator and engraver. As a Zhejiang Pinghu citizen, he was born in Tianjin. Before becoming a monk, he was famous for his literature and art works, and had organized the "Leshi Club" to carry out calligraphy and seal cutting creative activities. After becoming a monk, he quitted all of his skills except calligraphy. When he was tonsuring Hangzhou Tiger Temple in 1918, Hong Yi donated over 90 seals of his own to the Society and chiseled walls of the Hongxue Path to store the seals, and the niche called "Collection of Seal" inscribed by Ye Weiming, who also composed Notes of Li Shutong's Collection of Seal. In the fall of 1963, when the 60th anniversary commemoration of the founding of Xiling Seal Engraver's Society was held, these seals was taken out by members of the Society to treasure up, and the piece of stone that inscribed "Collection of Seal" was still embedded in its place to mark the trace of the seals and to witness the karma of Master Hongyi and the Society.