清光緒六年九月二十日 (1880年10月23日),中國近代文化藝術(shù)大師李叔同，誕生在三岔河口南、糧店后街陸家豎胡同2號。
李叔同的先祖，由浙江平湖來到這里。叔同祖父名銳。父名世珍，以字筱樓行世。曾任吏部主事。后辭官繼承父業(yè)，經(jīng)營鹽業(yè)和銀錢業(yè)，成為鹽商富家。67歲時，納了年僅19歲的王氏為側(cè)室。次年生下李叔同，小名三郎，幼名成蹊，學(xué)名文濤，化名和別號達(dá)200多個，叔同是其字。
光緒八年(1882),叔同全家搬到糧店后街62號(今60號)一所“田”字形宅院，這就是保存至今、位于河北區(qū)的李叔同故居。院內(nèi)并有洋式建筑，還有洋書房一間； 洋書房中，有奧國領(lǐng)事所贈的一架鋼琴； 這些對后來的李叔同都有影響。
李叔同6歲時，即從其兄長李文熙受啟蒙教育。文熙舉過秀才，后棄商從醫(yī)，成了名中醫(yī)。第一年，是認(rèn)字和背誦名詩格言； 轉(zhuǎn)年開始讀古籍。9歲起，從常云莊為師，接受老式正規(guī)教育，熟讀四書五經(jīng)等，在經(jīng)史詩文和文字學(xué)等方面，打下了堅實的根基。其間，對書法、金石產(chǎn)生濃厚興趣，臨摹過柳公權(quán)等多位名家碑帖； 并開始做詩。
16歲時，叔同考入天津文昌宮的輔仁書院，學(xué)習(xí)八股文； 同時又請人教授算術(shù)、外文。可見其少年時期，不只精讀傳統(tǒng)國學(xué)，而且對新學(xué)也很多留意。輔仁書院后改為文昌宮小學(xué)，李叔同與那里的老師有深厚情緣，在他后來留日回國后，為該學(xué)校歌寫了歌詞。

·1896年李叔同在天津留影

17歲的下半年，叔同進(jìn)入其二嫂姚氏家館，師從津門名士趙幼梅(元禮),學(xué)習(xí)辭賦、填詞等，由唐詩又入宋詞，詩詞俱進(jìn)。同時又師從津門名士唐敬嚴(yán)，學(xué)習(xí)書法、篆刻。并結(jié)識了天津文化教育名人嚴(yán)修、孟廣慧、華世奎、王襄，以及時常來津的李石曾等，與他們品賞詩詞文章，切磋金石書畫，議論社會世相，其藝猛進(jìn)，才華橫溢，在津門書畫、金石界，頭角嶄露。同仁稱贊其“聰明匹冰雪” 、“摹印樹一幟” 。1994年和1999年，先后兩次在天津發(fā)現(xiàn)李叔同印譜862方； 加上其他零散印章，超過千方。這些，基本上都是李叔同這個時期的創(chuàng)作，說明他在少年時，就已經(jīng)成為金石大家。
18歲時，叔同娶了南運(yùn)河邊芥園附近俞姓姑娘為妻，俞氏比叔同大兩歲； 他們夫妻相處，僅有七八年光景。同年，他以童生資格進(jìn)入天津縣學(xué)。在此后的兩年中，他寫過多篇課試文章，揭示了國政吏治的腐敗無能，透露了他憂國憂民的愛國情懷。
李叔同喜愛戲劇，經(jīng)常出入梨園票房、劇壇歌臺，結(jié)識了京劇名家孫菊仙、楊小樓、劉永奎一代名角； 并作為票友，粉墨登場，演過《落馬湖》等武生戲。李叔同后來成為中國話劇先驅(qū)，不是偶然。
光緒二十四年(1898),戊戌變法百日而亡后，李叔同因刻過“南?？稻俏釒煛敝e章，有康黨之嫌。為了避難，于10月間，中止縣學(xué)學(xué)業(yè)，奉母攜眷，南下上海，融入了更大的世界。
光緒三十一年(1905)3月10日，李叔同母親因病去世。7月下旬，他扶靈攜眷，返回天津；8月初，以完全新穎簡樸的革故做法，為母親辦理了喪事。同年秋天，李叔同由上海東渡扶桑。在日本留學(xué)期間，他給少年時的亦友亦師徐耀延經(jīng)常來信，天津博物館就收藏著他的一二十封書信等，彌足珍貴。
宣統(tǒng)三年(1911) 3月，李叔同學(xué)成從日本回國。將伴隨而來的日籍夫人在上海安置妥當(dāng)以后，于初夏時回到天津，應(yīng)直隸模范工業(yè)學(xué)堂之聘，擔(dān)任圖畫教員，開始了他藝術(shù)教育家的生涯。由于時局動蕩，李家破產(chǎn)； 叔同任教的學(xué)校業(yè)已關(guān)閉； 加之上海還有牽掛的人。他在天津住了不到一年，終于1912年春節(jié)前夕，離開了撫育他的故土，一去30年，再也沒有來喝海河之水。
李叔同“在世” 、“出世” ,只有62年，卻給“后世”在書法、金石、詩詞、美術(shù)、音樂、話劇、教育及律宗等方面，留下了極其寶貴的財富，這位奇人所創(chuàng)造的 “弘學(xué)” ,是中西文化融合的典范和瑰寶。

·1900年李叔同在上海

Li Shutong,a master of arts in modern China,was bornin a businessman family at No. 2,Lujiashu Hutong,south of Sancha Hekou in October 1880.
At the age of six,Li received his illuminativeeducation from his elder brother,Li Wenxi,who wasa scholar and doctor of Chinese medicine. At the ageof nine,he followed Mr Chang Yunzhang to learntraditional Chinese culture including classics,poetry andliterature. At the age of 16,he passed the examinationsand was enrolled by Furen School of WenchangPalace,Tianjin,where he studied the eight-part essay,mathematics and foreign languages. Later,Furen Schoolchanged its name into Wenchanggong Primary School.Li had strong affection towards his teachers in thatschool. After returning from Japan,Li wrote a lyric forthis school.
At the age of 17,he entered the private school runby the family of his second sister-in-law. Zhao Youmei,a famous scholar at that time,taught him poetry writingand diction. He also studied poetry of Tang and Songdynasties. Then another famous scholar Tang Jingyantaught him calligraphy and seal engraving. He alsomade friends with some other famous elites such as YanXiu,Meng Guanghui,Hua Shikui,Wang Xiang and LiShizeng. His foundation of arts was cemented throughthe discussions with the above-mentioned scholars onpoetry and essay writing,seal engraving,calligraphyand painting. In 1994 and 1999,people in Tianjin foundimpressions of 863 seals engraved by Li Shutong. Thesefindings indicated that Li was a master of seal engravingin his early ages.
At the age of 18,Li was married with a 20-year-old girl,whose family name was Yu. Then he enteredthe County School of Tianjin as a scholar. At that time,he often visited theatres and made friends with famousactors of Peking Opera,such as Sun Juxian,YangXiaolou and Liu Yongkui. Sometimes he even played arole on the stage as an amateur actor.
In 1898,Li was forced to leave Tianjin with hismother and wife to Shanghai because,after the failure ofthe reform movement of 1898 led by Kang Youwei andLiang Qichao,a seal engraved by him reads that"KangYouwei was my teacher",brouth suspicion and pressureon Li Shutong`s life.
In the year of 1905,Li Shutong`s mother passedaway. In July,he returned to Tianjin for escorting hismother`s coffin back to hometown. In early August,he buried his mother after holding a simple funeral. Inautumn,he went to Japan for further study. During hisstudy in Japan,Li wrote dozens of letters to his friendXu Yaoting in Tianjin,who also wrote back to him. Theprecious letters written by the two friends were now keptby the Tianjin Museum.
In March 1911,Li,accompanied by his Japanesewife,returned Shanghai from Japan. After he settled hiswife in Shanghai,Li came back to Tianjin in summer.At the invitation of the Zhili Model Industry College,hekicked off his career as an arts educator by teaching finearts. Later,Li`s family got bankrupt due to the turbulenceat that time and the college where Li worked was alsoforced to close. He left Tianjin for Shanghai in early1912 and never returned his hometown.
Li Shutong (or Master Hongyi) left the worldgreat fortunes of calligraphy,seal,poetry,fine arts,music,drama,education and Buddhism theory in his62-year life. The "Hong School" created by him is agood example integrating the cultures between theEast and the West.

· “弘體” 書法