Enter China’s Forbidden City

China has been growing at an incredible rate for the last several decades and today with the focus of the Olympics and their huge economy and manufacturing sector many Westerners are once again focused on this world giant. China offers to many Westerners exotic culture and architecture. In fact, one of its landmarks- the Forbidden City is now becoming one of China’s most popular tourist attractions.

The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City has always been surrounded with mystery and intrigue. In fact, it is called the Forbidden City because no person could either leave or enter this palace without the permission from the emperor. And while it was well known throughout the world, many have always been fascinated at what is exactly inside and just what goes on in this magnificent palace.

The Largest Palace in the World
The Forbidden City is known as the largest palace in the world. Located on 178 acres in Beijing the Forbidden City was built during the 15th century with the labor of more than a million men along with about 100,000 artisans. It took less than 15 years to build this masterpiece and one of the most incredible facts about this palace is that it reportedly has 9,999 rooms and an astonishing one million pieces of precious art. The Forbidden City served as the seat for the Ming Dynasty, upon its completion in 1420, a total of 24 emperors have called the Forbidden City home. The last emperor ruled from this palace up until 1912.

The Forbidden City is Now Open to All
The Forbidden City, once a great palace later became a museum that was closed off to all foreigners. However, over the last 30 years foreigners have been invited and welcomed to enter the great walls of the Forbidden City to see all that this incredible landmark now a World Heritage Site has to offer. Since being open to all, millions have flocked to see this great architectural and cultural achievement.

For those that are interested in either visiting the Forbidden City or finding out about all the amazing art and architectural delights found inside, the Smithsonian Magazine has an interesting article on the subject. To read more about this incredible landmark, please visit our main website.

History: The Great Wall of China

Wall building in China began long before the great wall itself was built. Discoveries of village walls and other tamped-earth walls have been discovered through China. Archeological findings have suggested that the Shang state began that building of a network of walls around their cities. Other states also followed suit, walling off many of their cities. Many peasant populations lived in the areas that surrounded the walled cities. However the beginning of the Qin dynasty these city walls were destroyed in the attempt to weaken the states that had recently been warring. The First Emperor then began a wall building project of his own

The Qin Wall

This wall was a new border defense and was called the ten-thousand li long wall’, which equates to about 546 yards. After the Qin emperor had conquered his rivals from among the Chinese feudal states he turned his view toward the roaming nomads of the north. After driving these nomads out of China the Emperor sent Meng Tian, his general, along with 300,000 men to begin working on a fortification to keep these nomads out.

Rather than beginning work on an entirely new wall Tian began to repair and connect the Warring States walls. This work went on for nearly ten years and was a complex undertaking. The ever changing terrain and the huge distance between their much needed supplies made this a very difficult task. Successive dynasty also put in their efforts to repair, rebuild or expand the wall. Although very little of this first wall remains, it was the beginning of the tradition that would provide the world with one of its seven wonders.

The Ming Wall

The wall standing on China’s border is not the same one built during the Qin dynasty but one built during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 CE). The wall built during the Qin dynasty came to be viewed as a symbol of the cruelty of the First Emperor toward his people. Stories are told about men who died while building the wall and were then buried within the wall itself. To avoid association with that wall the Ming called their walls border walls’ instead of the Qin term “long walls”. They worked on the walls for the same reason that previous dynasties had, to block the destructive nomadic tribes from the north.

The Ming’s wall construction was much more complex than the Qin wall. The advent of bricks and stones made the wall much sturdier than the previous packed earth walls. The Mongol raids continued over the years and in response the Ming continued to provide serious amounts of time and supplies to the construction and repair of the wall. Under the Qing dynasty China’s borders expanded beyond the wall and so the construction of the wall ceased.

The Great Wall Today

In modern times only some parts of the wall have been preserved, other parts are in disrepair. Some parts of the wall have even been covered in graffiti and other vandalisms and several sections have been removed because they are in the way of modern construction. Nature is also playing a role, eroding huge sections of the wall that are not expressly preserved for use as tourist attractions.

Chinese Oil Paintings and Realist Oil Painting

Chinese oil paintings and realist oil painting

Chinese oil paintings since the beginning of the fall, and “realism” and “realist painting” has a natural link, or from a certain sense, the beginning of the period of Chinese oil paintings is the “realist painting.” Chinese oil painting in the way of development, “realism” and “realist painting” has always been associated with it.

     Chinese oil paintings and the history of the development of China’s social and cultural development, changes in the history closely linked, it is accompanied by a knowledge of Western and other natural and cultural knowledge to enter China. The starting point for the development of Chinese oil paintings, is well documented from the Ming Dynasty in Ningbo, Zhejiang Jiajingnianjian the Portuguese in the establishment of the Hong Kong Trade Shuangyu base, the painting will bring this art form in China. Later in the Wanlinianjian (European Renaissance painting at this time is an important period in the history of the development), due to religious reasons, the Italian missionary Matteo Ricci to a painting of God, Our Lady of the paintings to China. According to records, the 1610 Tour Wen-hui’s “portrait of Matteo Ricci” has realistic approach, clearly the relationship between brightness, which can be deduced, You Wenhui of China earlier study and practice of European oil paintings. To the Qing Dynasty, many Western missionaries for the court is satisfied that, with the Qing Emperor Kangxi in Beijing between the missionaries and Gongtinghuashi Lang Shining as the representative, he worked in China, the life of 51, after Emperor Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong three dynasties . He used the Western oil painting concepts to the performance of the Chinese characters “Xiangfeirongzhuang map”, opened a real painting with Chinese content of the precedent. Some scholars believe that this also is China’s realist painting “The first map.” The development of early Chinese oil paintings are generally three ways, first missionary to preach the culture, and second, followed by the court to accommodate the culture of painting, and the third is in the cultural and economic exchanges in the “civil painting.” Chinese oil paintings start from the beginning with “realism” style. Some scholars from the Guangdong exported start painting on that Guangdong is the birthplace of Chinese oil paintings, where you can find Chinese realist painting at the initial start of the cultural and artistic works. Some scholars from the Shanghai Museum soil Hill Bay Exploration focus on painting, oil painting that China’s modern master Xu Yong-ching, Ding stunning, ZHOU Xiang, Zhang Hui charge, Zhang Yuguang, such as Ren Bonian, “have received here in Western art education . Territories Bay Hill painting in the Museum, is the court in the northern West painting interrupted,”the Guangzhou coastal export oil painting after painting”in the re-rise of China and Turkey. Although the time across a century, but the history of Shanghai has once again chosen to Western painting East wind of a historic turn for the better, but also laid the future Shanghai will become the basis of a major Chinese oil paintings. “Soil Bay Hill Museum paintings produced sculptures, practice painting, oil painting and home-made paints, specialized manual sketching, realistic atmosphere rich, To become “China’s cradle of Western painting.” Chinese oil painting in the process of development, Transocean Xunmeng, gains Western Modernist painting of the first practice, also gains the Lingqi realist painting, mechanical Moreover, the two can not be separated. “Westernization Movement” to promote Chinese painting in the spread of emerging art education has driven the rise of realism style. The rise of Western painting groups also promote the development of China’s realist painting. Founded in Shanghai in 1915’s “Oriental Art” in the form of groups to promote the spread of Western painting, to promote a scientific attitude to artistic creation, to stand as the main means of painting, drawing Dan Gaoxiang take into account indoor and outdoor paint, and actively promote outdoor Painting, further carry forward the style of realism. After the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, Chinese oil paintings into a tortuous and difficult period of development. This “difficult” and the people’s suffering, linked to national survival. Is the most significant artists, in particular, a number of important artists in this period of adversity, in the baptism of war, inspired by passion, real life experience to the suffering and national disaster, in-depth, experience in the rear shoulder Anti-Japanese National Salvation of the great historical mission, this generation of artists in the blood flow to the country and the nation’s destiny, art and life of passion, and the development of Chinese oil paintings were integrated into the subjects of great practical and enhanced the art of profound practical significance.

After new China was founded, the reality of the revolution consciously become the mainstream of Chinese painting art, artists, “as the keynote optimism to the revolution, depicting the revolutionary war and socialist construction in the history of life thriving scene. Uncertainties, accurate and powerful, many Painter common pursuit of the arts realm. “Realist realistic painting was exceptional conditions have been greatly developed. 1955, the Ministry of Culture decided to organize the Central Academy of Fine Arts oil painting courses, employing Soviet the teaching oil painting. courses taught sketching teaching system, students focus on improving the basis for sketching and modeling capability, that art comes from life, to encourage students observe the life and works of attention to the social function, the requirements reflect the fiery creation of real life, and guide students to Themes and topics of the master plot of concern. There is no doubt that this course actively promote the development of China’s realist painting, after training a group of Chinese oil painting industry active in the backbone. Of course, after training in the arts reflect on this practice, there are experts believe the other hand, sketching their teaching methods “and not a sketch of China’s experience in teaching the integration of China’s sketch of teaching methods and style of the sketch based on a single. “In subsequent years, advocates of revolution and revolutionary realism, the combination of romanticism, political and artistic standard, facing the reality of China through ups and realist painting, distort, to reflect on the years and rational thinking. During a return to the reality of the “native intelligence”, advocated by honest approach to the grim portrait of life, to the performance of simple theme Native revealed living in difficult environment in the people’s heat and warmth of the noble dignity. During a realist painting of China’s serious reflection, in summing up both positive and negative lessons for China on the basis of realistic painting of the new knowledge and new exploration. After the seemingly silent and variables, the Chinese contemporary realist painting is still active, being mature. “This door”origin”in the growing depletion of the art form has been dissolved in Chinese people’s aesthetic habits, renewable pleasing to the Chinese oil paintings. Realist painters who are not in order to make an example, it inadvertently to the contemporary Fufan Art presents a necessary accomplishment: To master a kind of art form, is bound to a long-term extraordinary efforts. ”

Realist painting walked all the way, hastened the birth of modern Western art of the genre, in the time of the birth of Chinese oil paintings, but also a realist deep zone de Patinagem de traces the art of oil painting. Or that Chinese oil paintings come out in time, undoubtedly have the impression of Western painting and after all the art schools affected, but in essence said that the Chinese oil painting at the starting time of the basic characteristics of a “realist painting.” China’s realist painting of Faren and foreign missionaries preaching the culture is closely linked to that of imported Western painting is not only oil paintings, watercolors, copper engraving, and other kinds of painting, the study of Chinese oil paintings of realism started to explore the introduction of Western art, Depend on a variety of types of art painting and its artistic spirit. The study of Chinese realist painting, but also explore the Westernization Movement, Restoration Reform Movement, the New Culture Movement and other Chinese political and cultural development background, when Kang Youwei Although the history of Western painting there were misreading, but the realism of the Western oil paintings still have problems Insights, in his “Travels 11 countries in Europe,” Rafael praised the painting as “T Yi Yi Miao, lively, more Rao Yun Xiang, Cheng Yi also God,” and “show its health-Yun, who must have independence “And” far from angry, Shenmiao forced true, the name is true also, “These kind words are” realistic. ” Kang Youwei respected realist “classic” and his words deep. Chen Duxiu in the “art of revolution – by Lu Zheng,” also said, “the painter must be realistic, and be able to play to their talent, painting their paintings, ancient Kejiu not charged.” Chen Duxiu on the “art revolution” And “realism” and “spirit of realism,” the idea of the May 4th Movement in the new culture of science, carry forward the spirit of democracy have had a profound impact. Chinese oil paintings in the development process, from time to time there are “local” and “outside,” the academic struggles and the “local” to the advent of Chinese oil paintings dating back over 2,000 years ago with Oil for painting pottery patterns. Academic issues can still explore. And the general sense, of “realism oil paintings and Chinese oil painting”, often starting in the cultural missionaries to preach. Of course, in recent years, there are writings discussed how the evolution of classical realist painting to contemporary “as a new” painting, which involves China should advance with the times realist painting of a problem.

http://www.oil-painting-china.com

http://www.goldappleart.com

Magnificent Beijing