An event marking the 400th birth anniversary of Bada Shanren was held on September 22 in Qingyunpu District, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, the hometown of Bada Shanren, the release said. Chinese and foreign youth representatives and guests from 19 countries and regions, among them the United States, Russia, Morocco, Turkmenistan and the Republic of Korea, participated.
The programme included a special exhibition visit, collection introductions, a stamp-hunting memorial exploration, rubbing making and the copying of ink painting album pages, according to the release. The release said the sessions were arranged so that Gen Z international participants could get close to Bada Shanren's art world through hands-on practice, and that 2026 is the 400th anniversary of his birth. The release describes Bada Shanren as a master of Chinese calligraphy and painting whose works carry Chinese aesthetics and humanistic heritage and have influenced international art.
At the launch ceremony, international youth representative Yagshygeldiyeva Aygul from Turkmenistan said she had learned about Bada Shanren online before, but that standing in front of the original works felt completely different, and that she had not really understood Chinese painting previously. She said the image of animals rolling their eyes in his works left a deep impression on her, that they looked proud, and that she could feel the artist's personality through them.
Alfina Kildiiarova from Russia said it was her first time trying rubbing, which she found interesting, and that it is important for international youth to learn more about Chinese culture. Robel Tilahun from Ethiopia said his country also has an artistic tradition similar to calligraphy, and that seeing the real artworks was a beautiful feeling, which he summarised in one word: "Magnificent." Migdaris Murillo Pitty from Panama said that after painting with her own hands for the first time the process made her feel relaxed and excited, that a person can show a part of themselves in a painting, and that she felt a small part of the vast Chinese culture.