Fan Zeng, a renowned Chinese painter and calligrapher, announced the birth of his newborn son on 11 December 2025. The 87-year-old shared the news through a calligraphy statement posted online.
His wife, Xu Meng, 38, is a TV presenter for Chinese state media. The couple married in 2024.
Family Ties Severed in Same Statement
In the same announcement, Fan cut off several family members, including his daughter Fan Xiaohui. He declared that all public and private matters concerning him would be handled solely by Xu. No one else has the right to interfere, he stated.
Xiaohui had previously criticized her father’s new relationship. She claimed Xu had taken her father away and dismissed long-time helpers.
Daughter Claims Father Went Missing, Artworks Disappeared
In August 2025, Xiaohui posted on social media that her father had been “taken away” by his new wife. She wrote: “Rumors have circulated online recently claiming my father, Fan Zeng, was forcibly removed from his home and has since gone missing.”
She last saw him in early July 2025. After returning from abroad, she found his Beijing residence sealed and empty.
Household staff told her that Xu had taken Fan away on 13 July 2025, along with his personal belongings. Long-serving staff had been dismissed with compensation and replaced by new helpers brought in by Xu.
Xiaohui also alleged that her father’s lifetime collection of paintings, calligraphy, and antiques had disappeared. Online speculation suggested that artworks and antiques valued at over two billion yuan (~S$366 million) had been transferred in recent months.
“For many days I have tried to call him, but his phone has always been switched off,” Xiaohui said. “I immediately reached out to Xu Meng via WeChat–the only channel of contact–but she has still not told me where my father is.”
She added that Fan had mentioned staying in hospital to care for Xu, though the timing remained unclear.
Distinguished Career Spanning Decades
Fan holds prestigious positions including vice president of the China Artists Association and vice president of the Chinese Calligraphers Association. His works have been exhibited internationally, including in Japan and the United Kingdom.
Over the past decade, his pieces have fetched more than 2.3 billion yuan (~S$421 million) at public auctions, according to the Hurun Art List.
In 2010, then-French president Nicolas Sarkozy awarded Fan the Knight of the Legion of Honour for his contributions to China-France cultural exchanges.
Three Previous Marriages
Fan’s first marriage was to a poetess, followed by a marriage to a painter. He met his third wife while she was married to one of his patrons and he was still married to his second wife. Both ended their previous marriages to be together.
