Botanical garden forms inspiration for art display

Traditional Chinese flower-and-bird painting by Guo Ziliang is among the pieces on show at the exhibition at Wanglian Hotel inside the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden.

She says that being in the forest has taught her many lessons. "The flowers I see in a full bloom a day earlier wither away the following day. The fleeting beauty sometimes makes me feel sad, but I marvel at the circle of life."

Sun Lin, a painter from Shandong province, has sketched at the garden for a few years now. She says that nature has gradually changed her painting style. She says at first she drew the flowers and leaves precisely. "But as I stayed longer in the county where the garden is located, I learned from local people to live simply and to observe the world quietly. And now, I skip many details, but I try to grab the essence of the subject I am painting."

The rich colors of the garden are what many painters come for. But for some, the green plants have a lingering charm.

In his ink painting, Beijing-based Pang Congcong portrays a giant taro whose huge leaves leave him feeling refreshed. "It doesn't have colorful blossoms or plump fruits. Still, it exhales a breath of warmth and vigor."

After viewing the exhibition, Tang Hong, from Qingdao, Shandong province, who works on the garden's landscape, says the paintings not only introduce species to people, but also tells them that it is these small plants and animals, not humans, that are the real residents of the forest.

Chen Jin, the garden's director, says the exhibition is a tribute to the diverse beauty of Xishuangbanna's rain forests.

"Generations of painters have come here to sketch over several decades. Some have even visited 26 times. It has become a unique cultural phenomenon in Yunnan."

He says both painters and scientists hope the exhibition leads to a cross-disciplinary exchange and he hopes to develop the exhibition into a biennial event.

If you go

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays, through Feb 5. Wanglian Hotel, inside the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden. Mengla county, Jinghong city, Yunnan province. 0691-8715-071.