On October 19, the International Symposium on The Complete Collection of Chinese Paintings was held at the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Hangzhou.Themed “Aesthetic Conception and Civilizational Heritage in Ancient Chinese Painting Art,” the symposium brought together nearly 80 scholars and experts from China and abroad across the fields of art, culture, technology, and philosophy.Discussions were organised around three major topics — Cultural Diversity in Ancient Chinese Painting, Intelligent Depiction of Civilisation: Decoding China’s Visual Legacy, and Brush and Ink Heritage: The Collection, Utilisation and Dissemination of The Complete Collection of Chinese Paintings.
President Wei Lu of Communication University of Zhejiang delivered a keynote speech at the sub-forum on Contemporary Transformation and Global Communication of Ancient Chinese Painting Art, titled “The International Communication of Ancient Chinese Painting Art.”
In his address, President Wei highlighted the threefold significance of the international dissemination of Chinese ancient painting:
(1) sharing cultural value globally,
(2) serving as a bridge for intercivilisational dialogue, and
(3) acting as a core element of China’s cultural soft power.
He outlined five historical phases of this international dissemination — the Sui and Tang dynasties, Song and Yuan dynasties, the 17th–18th centuries, the 20th century, and the 21st century, noting that the 20th century marked a key turning point, while the 21st century has been characterised by diversification, digitalisation, and globalisation.
President Wei also pointed out four major challenges facing the global communication of ancient Chinese painting:
1. the cognitive gap between Eastern and Western aesthetic systems;
2. translation barriers due to lack of academic discourse authority;
3. limitations of single-form dissemination; and
4. the marginalisation of Chinese collections in the international art market.
To address these, he proposed strengthening academic discourse construction, innovating digital dissemination strategies, implementing audience-based communication models, cultivating international market mechanisms, and deepening global cooperation networks — ultimately promoting Chinese painting as a shared heritage of humankind.
In the field of digital innovation, President Wei shared several collaborative projects between ZJUC and the Complete Collection of Chinese Paintings Archive, including:
l Interactive Installation of the Outline Drawing of an Imperial Review,
l Gesture-based Animation of Emperor Gaozong’s Filial Piety Classic with Illustrations by Ma Hezhi,
l VR Immersive Experience of The Elegant Gathering in the Western Garden,
l Interactive Animation The Cowherd’s Melody,
l the children’s picture book Where Are the Magical Instruments?, and
l the multimedia light show The Sound of Silence: A Thousand-Year Dragon’s Shadow.
These projects explore the creative fusion of digital technology and traditional art, enhancing global understanding of Chinese cultural heritage.
Jointly hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and organised by Zhejiang University, the symposium aims to build an international academic discourse system for Chinese art studies, foster cross-cultural research collaboration, and transform the achievements of The Complete Collection of Chinese Paintings into a vital platform for cultural exchange and storytelling, sharing the beauty of Chinese civilisation with the world.
