| While visiting China, you will have the opportunity to | | | | The Legend of Chinese Painting: |
| learn traditional Chinese painting as well as calligraphy. | | | | In 1949, the earliest work was unearthed from a |
| While touring the ancient city of Lijiang, the paradise | | | | tomb of the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C). |
| scenic city of Guilin, or visiting the noted mountain | | | | The work was a painting on silk of human figures, |
| Huangshan, You will find here the most popular thing | | | | dragons and phoenixes. This is the earliest work on |
| to buy is scroll of Chinese painting. You will also find it | | | | silk ever discovered in China, it measures about 30cm |
| is extremely interesting and intriguing to paint with | | | | long by 20cm wide. |
| soft brushes. If you are a Chinese art lover, don't | | | | From this and other early paintings on silk, it may be |
| forget to take some of these stuffs back home. | | | | easily seen that the ancients were already familiar |
| Chinese painting is also called traditional Chinese | | | | with the art of the writing or painting, brush, for the |
| painting. Just as its name implied, Chinese painting is | | | | strokes show vigor or elegance whichever was |
| painted with traditional Chinese painting tools in | | | | desired. Paintings of this period are strongly religious |
| accordance with Chinese aesthetic standard. Chinese | | | | or mythological in themes. |
| Painting has developed a unique style. | | | | Paintings on paper appeared much later than those |
| | | | | on silk for the simple reason that the invention of silk |
| Chinese painting is painted on rice paper or thin silk | | | | preceded that of paper by a long historical period. |
| with brushes, Chinese ink and Chinese painting dye. In | | | | In 1964, when a tomb dating to the Jin Dynasty |
| terms of topics, Chinese painting can be classified into | | | | (265-420 A.D) was excavated at Astana in Tinpan, |
| three branches: human figures; Landscapes; flowers | | | | Xinjiang, a colored painting on paper was discovered. |
| and birds. So the painting of ladies, the painting of | | | | It shows, on top, the sun, the moon and the Big |
| mountains and the painting of insects and fish belong | | | | Dipper and, below, the owner of the tomb sitting |
| to the three branches respectively. | | | | cross-legged on a couch and leisurely holding a fan in |
| On painting techniques, one is traditional Chinese | | | | his hand. A portrayal in vivid lines of the life of a |
| realistic painting characterized by fine brushwork and | | | | feudal land-owner, measuring 106.5cm long by 47cm |
| close attention to detail, the other is freehand | | | | high, it is the only known painting on paper of such |
| brushwork. | | | | antiquity in China. |