On October 28, the “Painting a Vast Landscape of Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains: the Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition of Beautiful Countryside in the New Era” and the Seminar on the Inheritance and Development of Traditional Chinese Painting in the Contemporary Era were held at the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC). Both events were sponsored by the Research Center of the Counsellors’ Office of the State Council (COSC) and the China Central Institute for Culture and History (CCICH).   

Gao Yu, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Chairman of the COSC, attended the opening ceremony and announced the official launch of the exhibition. Lu Yingchuan, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism; Wang Weimin, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Chairman of the COSC; Wu Weishan, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the China Democratic League, and Director of the NAMOC; Fan Di’an, Researcher of the CCICH and Chairman of the China Artists Association; and Liu Wanming, Vice Chairman of the China Artists Association and President of the China National Academy of Painting, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Other distinguished guests present at the opening ceremony included Cheng Dali, Researcher of the CCICH, Zhang Ji, Vice Chairman of the China Calligraphers Association, Zhao Dong, Secretary of the Party Committee of Rong Bao Zhai Co., Ltd., a number of calligraphers and painters whose works were on display, responsible officials from internal departments of the COSC and the CCICH, and heads of several cultural institutions in Beijing. The opening ceremony was hosted by Yang Zhixin, Director of the Research Center of the COSC and the CCICH.  

This year marks the 75^th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 10^th anniversary of the Forum on the Work of Literature and Art presided over by General Secretary Xi Jinping, at which he delivered an important speech. In recent years, the COSC and CCICH have earnestly guided Counsellors of the State Council and CCICH Researchers to implement the instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping in his important speeches on inheriting and developing fine traditional Chinese culture and boosting the prosperity of literary and artistic undertakings in the new era, and have organized a series of influential cultural events. Themed around the Beautiful China initiative, this exhibition brings together exquisite calligraphy and painting masterpieces by 18 CCICH researchers specializing in calligraphy and painting and 75 renowned contemporary calligraphers and painters. The works cover various art forms, including traditional Chinese painting, oil painting, and calligraphy. These 93 works collectively showcase the new achievements made in building a beautiful countryside in the new era. Crafted with exquisite techniques, originality, profound richness, and stylistic diversity, the works reflect the new milestones attained by contemporary Chinese calligraphy and painting.