Children inherit traditional culture through creative paintings


A nationwide fine arts and calligraphy competition themed on Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor) for students in kindergartens, primary and high schools was unveiled on Monday in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province.
The Yellow Emperor, said to have lived about 2,600 BC, is widely regarded as the initiator of Chinese civilization and one of the ancient ancestors for all Chinese.
The competition started Monday, before the Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day, where worshiping ancestors is a long-standing Chinese tradition.
For the traditional festival, students are taught about the Yellow Emperor and related traditional Chinese culture and encouraged to use their imaginations and express their understanding through creative paintings.
Paintings and calligraphy for the event, now in its fourth year, are being collected nationwide and will conclude at the end of June.
It also is one of the 15 types of events paying homage to the Yellow Emperor before and after the Qingming Festival. Other activities include searching family history for overseas Chinese, folk art performances, photo exhibitions, calligraphy and painting exhibitions, lectures, academic seminars, concerts and tree plantings.