Exhibition period: October 11th to October 16th, 2013

Opening time: October 13, 2013 at 10am

Exhibition location: Central Hall, Hall C, Hall A, and Hall B on the first floor of Shenzhen Guanshan Moon Art Museum

Organizers: Propaganda Department of the Communist Party of China Gansu Provincial Committee, Gansu Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Shenzhen Federation of Literary and Art Circles

Co organizers: Shenzhen Guanshanyue Art Museum, Gansu Artists Association, Gansu Calligraphers Association

Undertaking units: Shenzhen Yinwu Cultural Development Co., Ltd. and Guanshan Yue Art Foundation

The western region is painted with blue and golden autumn colors, while the ink on the Longshang River travels southward.

Gansu Province is located in the geographical center of the motherland, named after the first characters of ancient Ganzhou and Suzhou. It is located at the intersection of the Loess Plateau, the Inner Mongolian Plateau and Qinghai Tibet Plateau, belonging to the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and the Inland River. The province governs 14 cities and prefectures, 86 counties and districts, with a total population of 27 million and a total area of 425800 square kilometers. Gansu is a multi-ethnic province with 2 ethnic minority autonomous prefectures and 7 ethnic minority autonomous counties. 56 ethnic groups are distributed in Gansu, among which Dongxiang, Bao'an, and Yugu are unique ethnic minorities in Gansu.

         Gansu has a long history and profound cultural heritage. It is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization, an important channel for the exchange of ancient Eastern and Western civilizations, and a place for the integration of various ethnic and religious cultures. It can be regarded as an important cultural resource treasure trove of the Chinese nation. The Silk Road, spanning three thousand miles and eight thousand years of Chinese civilization, is a vivid portrayal of the splendid Gansu province. According to legend, the ancestors of humanities, Fuxi, N ü wa, and the head of the Five Emperors, Huangdi, were all born in Gansu, hence the name "Xixuan Sangzi". The Qin'an Dadiwan Site, which has a history of 8000 years, has produced China's earliest painted pottery; The Ma Family Kiln culture excavated in Lintao yielded the earliest bronze artifacts in China; The ancestors of Zhou made their mark in Qingyang through agriculture, and the Qin Empire first emerged in Lixian. The Zhou and Qin dynasties played the prelude to advancing into the Central Plains and unifying the nine provinces in Gansu. The Hexi Corridor, known as the throat of the Silk Road, is the place where the four ancient civilizations and three religions of the world converge. the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang can be called the treasure house of world literature and art. Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui are known as the Oriental Sculpture Museum. The copper galloping horse unearthed in Wuwei is a symbol of Chinese tourism, and the courier unearthed in Jiayuguan is a symbol of China's postal service. Hadapu, an important decision-making location for the fate of the Long March, and the Red Army's Long March meeting in Huining, all vividly depict revolutionary history. On this ancient and magical land of Gansu, the Yellow River culture, Silk Road culture, Dunhuang culture, ethnic culture, red culture, and modern culture have been nurtured, carrying the vast essence of Chinese civilization and integrating the rich connotations of various cultural elements from ancient and modern times, both at home and abroad. It is a precious spiritual wealth of the Chinese nation. All of these are the masterpieces created by Gansu calligraphers and painters.         

This time, more than 170 calligraphy and painting works from 13 calligraphers and painters in Gansu, including Chen Boxi, Lianji, Ma Shaoqing, Li Baotang, Chen Tianyu, Duan Jianshan, Dong Gexiang, Liu Heling, Liu Jiang, Liu Junqi, Chen Yipo, Wu Weidong, Li Weidong, etc., have been created. This is an art work that has been infused with the characteristics of Northwest style and Dunhuang spirit since the reform and opening up for more than 30 years, and is a concentrated appearance of Gansu's high-level calligraphy and painting art creation in recent years. The group of Gansu calligraphers and painters have benefited from the influence of Chinese civilization and Dunhuang art in terms of creative concepts, directions, and abilities. They have absorbed the enduring charm of "compatibility, openness, harmony, and symbiosis" in Dunhuang culture into their own creations, presenting these works of Dunhuang heritage, desert and Gobi landscapes, Qilian scenery, and Tibetan customs, fully demonstrating the historical height, cultural depth, and spiritual depth of Gansu calligraphers and painters.    

In January of this year, the General Office of the State Council officially approved the construction of the Huaxia Civilization Inheritance and Innovation Zone in Gansu. This is the only national level development platform with culture as the theme that has been approved by the state so far. In order to implement the responsibilities entrusted by the times, the Gansu Provincial Party Committee and Government proposed to use the construction of the "Dunhuang Painting School" as a starting point, seek local emotions, continuously integrate and strengthen spirituality, create influential, contemporary, and vibrant works, and achieve the grand goal of the "Dunhuang Painting School" from the spiritual, artistic, and technical levels.

This exhibition has received strong support from the Propaganda Department of the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee, the Shenzhen Bureau of Culture and Sports, and the Shenzhen Federation of Literary and Art Circles. We would like to express our deep gratitude! There are still many shortcomings and shortcomings in the works exhibited this time. Visitors are kindly requested to leave valuable feedback.

Propaganda Department of the Gansu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China

Gansu Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles

October 10, 2013