In terms of 'mode', mankind culture is regarded having three basic modes: 'Oral culture' before the invention of characters; 'publication culture' or 'printing culture' after the invention of characters; 'electrical culture' or 'information culture' in electronic times. Now we are in a transitional period with the 'electronic culture' replacing the 'printing culture'. We have a lot of work to do. Those work are cultural opportunities and provide huge consuming market, bringing infinite commercial opportunities to all kinds of enterprises.

In the information age, the world is becoming smaller and smaller and all peoples live in a same 'Globe Village'. Now, in the 21st century, high-tech is developing, such as the flooding of electronic products in the markets. The spread of electronic culture in societies and families make cultures of all countries tend to converge. So, if we want to maintain its characters. Only by inheriting Chinese traditional cultures and merging new-founding mechanism, can our nation be prosperous only again and stand in the forest of all nations. Looking back our culture and traditions, our nation enjoys a 5000-year long history and is profound and longstanding. But, facing the challenge of the converging of all cultures, let us observe once again: what still are the China's national treasures? The scholars have different opinions; some say that in strict meaning, they are ancient philosophy, Chinese characters, Chinese medicine, Qigong, Wu Shu, Cooking, Beijing Opera, and Chinese Painting. What's more, the poetic landscape garden can prove the scenic spots and historical sites that bear highly prosperous history and culture.

What I want to talk is painting and historical sites. I have been a painter since 1952 when I was enrolled in Beijing Central Painting Academy. I love Chinese culture as well as my major painting, because Chinese painting is one of the two major painting systems in the world, the west and the east. Our painting enjoys the highest accomplishment. According to aesthetician Zong Baihua, Chinese painting, ancient Greece Sculpture and German music are three great arts. Why Chinese painting has such everlasting charm? Because its cultural background is the fertile land of Chinese culture. As to the development of history, basic theories and special techniques, that is, the history and theories and methods of painting, the emergence and development and accomplishments of Chinese painting are indebted to the humanistic and natural conceptions of Chinese philosophy. It chooses the meaningful arts from Nature and grasps its essence. What it pursues is the 'artistic mood' born outside the scene rather than painting realistically. In the course of development, it merges with poems, articles, calligraphy and seal cutting, resulting in highly intelligent 'Scholarly Painting' form. The form is a special painting mixing poems, articles, calligraphy painting and seal cutting. The representative of the school of Chang'an Painting promoted the theory of scholarly painting once again at the end of 1970s. In terms of the contents, the meaning of 'highly intelligent culture al meaning' most lies in its contents, For example, in the sub-subject of the subjects of Chinese Painting, the most charssferishc subjects are landscape painting, lowers and 'Four gentlemen 'painting with the subject of plum flower, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum .All of those paintings are saturated with the concept of 'Tao and FAA are natural ' and the natural conception of Confucianism, Taoism, Dark learning and Chan are the essence .

In China, man and nature are living in harmony, all thing in the painting are all personifications in my mind, the mountains are charming, I think the mountains see the charming I emotion and appearance are a little similar. The mountains and waters are persons, so are the birds and flowers, plum flower orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum are obvious and they are noble men. Painting literatures are supplementary and make historical understanding and interpretation of Chinese painting. All are the special contents shared by China only in the world art arena. Therefore, it owes infinite charm.

The destruction of nature made by the modern industries resulted in catastrophe of mankind's culture .The historical philosophers, such as German Oswald Spangler who once wrote 'the fall of the west ', English Arnold Joseph Toynbee, who wrote `research history`, have noticed the ills of western civilization and the potentials of Chinese civilization and the potential of Chinese civilization the analytic thinking mode of the west and the whole conception of the east are mutually supplementary .The need of western art's constructional means and eastern born conception contrast beautiful with each other. All of these make the international cultural exchanges the general trend of events. Nowadays throughout the world, the academic research of Chinese culture has become popular and the position of Chinese culture is more and more important. In the painting area, the 11th edition of 1998 of 'CANS art news 'reported, the view of Michael Findlay (councilor of New York jarhead work of art department) to the world art market, he said, in fifty years the contemporary art of Asia would jump to the mainstream of international art arena, and the Chinese art made up of Taiwan art, Hong Kong art and Chinese mainland art would become a system, even different to the western art market.
Today the opening of www.travel-silkroad.com is a bold action. First it introduces the ancient road that once bridged the communications between east and west in the history, today, it reopens to the guests, both at home and abroad, on the extended highway. Second, it is a website characteristic of travel of history and culture and the academic and cultural grades are high .The view of economists are that they though, the 'new cultural industry ' is the foremost and its market is the most charming, because it is not only material consuming, but also satisfying people's spiritual needs on a higher level. Third, it can only bring opportunities of travel culture to the economic exploitation of northwestern China. Japan that once was a country short of natural resources had lamented her smallness before the vast ocean. The large-scale sleep-sea fishing was originated from being fastidious about the looking of fish, and sparing no effort to open aquatic product school in order to popularize and cultivate the ocean interest of the Japanese. That is, it is better to go back and make a net than to stand by the pond longing for fish, Japanese made real achievements by the thought of 'cultural industry'. When the cultural travel become the hot of travel culture in the development of the north western China, everyone will want to pay a visit by himself so the commercial opportunities and economic interests are considerable.' Man, living in the world, is like a long journey. 'Anyone, living on the earth is a traveler, if the four guide can promote the scenery to the aesthetic feeling of history and humanism and leave the beautiful landscape on the minds of all guests from, four corners of the world, then, the historical retrospection of the ancient silk road and the re-exploitation of the resources of the great northwestern China must become the spiritual homeland of long-journey traveler that are fascinated about the beautiful scenery.

The opening of www.travel-silkroad.com has not only the economic importance, but also the historic and cultural importance, I hope it succeeds and completes the historical mission of Chinese civilization in the new times.

Best wishes!
Chen Yaping
March 27, 2002
Beijing
Email: toye @public 3.bta .net .cn

A brief introduction of the author

Chen Yaping: male, Han nationality, born in a scholarly family in Fuyang, Anhui province in 1937.
In 1952,he was recommend by teacher Fang Shiheng, then educated by Xu Beihong in Beijing Central Painting Academy without examination. He graduated from the Painting Department in 1955,upon graduation; he was assigned to the Art and Science Academy of the Ministry of Culture (the former Painting Research Institute of Chinese Art. As a graduate, in the October 1956,he was shifted from ministry of culture to Prepare Team of the Academy of Chinese Painting with responsibility for buying and collecting paintings, calligraphies and ancient books. Now, he is the most senior painter in Beijing Painting Academy. At the end of 1970s, after his 'right wing 'question was removed, he was once again assigned to be in charge of reference room, arranging the collections of the academy after the Great Cultural Revolutionary. He loved studying and reading, majored in poems, articles, books, paintings, seal cutting and aesthetic theories. He attached painting exhibitions held by the Beijing Painting Academy, both at home and abroad. He published a lot of works and papers in the books and magazines both at home and abroad, he practiced the basic skills of all painting skills, such as sketches, oil paintings, water color articles concerning Confucianism, Taoism, Xuan, Chan and their profound influence on the thinking of Chinese painting .he practiced all the traditional subjects, such as peoples, Buddhists women, paintings, waters and mountains flowers and birds painting on various materials, such as flax, canvas, Xuan paper, fanjuan, gold, and multi-media, he like using new techniques and materials, dealing with the old paintings with new methods. In 1990s, he used computer to draw CDs and network scenery. More than ten millions words have been computed with the material banks and data banks of the special series. Tens of thousands cards have been made. He is the writer of 'Beijing's Computer Painting 'entry in the Memory of Beijing Area'. He published Mr. Ye Gongchuo and Chinese painting A my published in the 8th and 9th editions of thechinere versions of 'Bridge' On oil painting he published 'Memorying Professor Dong Xiwen' ulmzh us intended in the memo Infilvite Thoughts---memoryihg Mr. Dong Xiwen 's soth Birthday' which was published by International culture Priers His own thought on painting and aesthetics uas urine in 'Painting and Wiring', about 10,000 cords, which was published in Taiwan's Yanthcang Art (excerpt from who is who---Chinese volume' published by Chinese International Exchanges Press,. Hong Kong, In May, 1996 the first volume page 16)
In May, 2000 He uas included in 2000 Outstanding Axis's and Designers of the 20th century of Cambridge England Number: 58169/106546

In July, be was included in '500 leaders of Influence by American Biographical Institute and was rewarded 21st Century Achievement Award.

In October, 2000, he was recommended by high officials of UN and was rewarded of NORBLE Prize
UCC: (the United Cultural Convention) born at the beginning of 2001, a joint conference on culture. Main members, UNESCO, UNIC. Washington Special Zone. MENSA World Affair council World Art and Science Academy. Crown International Affairs Research Academy, and famous universities, such as Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale and Californian and so on.

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