Capturing a monk's vision

Chinese paintings are enriched by the legacies of artists who were Buddhist monks. Lin Qi interviews one to know why.

Buddhist monks who were also established artists have left an impressive mark on Chinese fine art. These famed figures included Zhu Da (or Bada Shanren), Huai Su and Li Shutong, to name a few.

"It would be boring if the monks were absent from the traditional art scene. It's like a huge garden with hundreds of flowers in full bloom, and the monks are the water lilies," says Shi Dachan, a Buddhist monk and painter. He spoke to China Daily on the sidelines of his solo exhibition at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing.