Chinese artistry captivates Moscow

The beauty of ancient Chinese art took center stage in Moscow as China served as the Guest of Honor at the 39th Moscow International Book Fair, held from September 2 to 6 at Gostiny Dvor. The event coincided with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation. As an important step in implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state, it helped promote mutual learning between Chinese and Russian civilizations and further deepen the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.

At the heart of the China Pavilion was A Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings: Moscow Special Exhibition, a celebration of the artistic legacy of China’s past. Ten volumes from the collection and 15 color trial proofs of masterpieces of ancient Chinese painting brought centuries of artistic achievement into close view, inviting Russian visitors to discover the elegance, imagination and enduring appeal of traditional Chinese aesthetics.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, the exhibition offered a journey into the customs and poetic imagination of the season. The Russian-language debut of the mixed-reality digital art education series Painting the Seasons featured an interactive experience titled “Mid-Autumn Festival: Eating with the Seasons.” Visitors could also watch Treasures, a three-part Russian-language documentary based on A Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings. Together, these experiences evoked the atmosphere of a Song Dynasty Mid-Autumn Festival, from its seasonal traditions to the timeless sentiment of loved ones gazing at the same moon across a thousand miles.

Publishing professionals, cultural scholars and local residents were among the many visitors who lingered before the paintings, explored the displays and joined in the interactive activities. In the mountains and waters of Chinese painting, they encountered more than landscapes: they found an artistic vision of harmony between humanity and nature. Across borders and cultures, the exhibition created a space for shared appreciation, friendship and the pursuit of peace.

Several senior Russian officials attended related events and visited the China Pavilion. They included Vladimir Medinsky, Aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chairman of the Russian Writers’ Union; Bella Cherkesova, Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation; and Sergei Stepashin, Head of the Russian Book Union and former Russian Prime Minister.

Representatives of relevant Chinese departments also attended, along with nearly 100 publishing professionals from more than 30 leading Chinese publishing houses.

The Russian guests showed particular interest in the Chinese tradition of bringing poetry, calligraphy and painting together in a single work of art. As they browsed the collection, they paused before Ink Plum Blossoms by the Yuan Dynasty painter WANG Mian, studying both the painting and the poem inscribed upon it:“I seek no praise for my colors bright; I leave only pure fragrance to fill the world.”

President XI Jinping has previously quoted these lines, drawing on the plum blossom’s quiet integrity — its beauty without ostentation and its fragrance without a desire for praise — to advocate the spirit of diligent work, upright conduct and personal integrity. The guests’ attention to the poem opened a further dimension of the artwork, revealing how Chinese painting can convey not only visual beauty but also moral ideals and a deeply humanistic spirit.

With books as a bridge and paintings as a means of friendship, the Moscow exhibition wove together classical masterpieces and multimedia experiences to bring the artistic achievements and spiritual world of ancient Chinese painting to life. It offered Russian audiences a vivid encounter with China’s cultural heritage and, through the language of art, strengthened the bonds of understanding and friendship between the two peoples. In doing so, it added a rich cultural dimension to the further development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.

A Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings is a major national cultural project approved by XI Jinping in 2005. He has attached great importance to the project over the years, following its progress closely and issuing important instructions on multiple occasions. The collection brings together 12,405 works or sets of ancient Chinese paintings from 263 cultural and museum institutions in China and abroad. Spanning the pre-Qin, Han and Tang dynasties through the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, its five major series comprise 68 volumes and 257 books — a monumental undertaking to preserve and share the artistic heritage of Chinese civilization.

Source: ZJU Press
Translator: FANG Fumin
Editor: DING Chenwei