At 3 PM on July 1, 2025, the launching ceremony of the fifth stop of the large-scale international art tour exhibition themed "Tell the Great Wall, Write about the Great Wall, Paint the Great Wall" — "Unique Splendor at Mutianyu" — was grandly held at the foot of the majestic Mutianyu Great Wall. Co-hosted by the China Great Wall Culture Research Center, Beijing Artistic Tiancheng Calligraphy and Painting Academy, and other institutions, this event gathered calligraphers, painters, cultural scholars from across the country, and international friends. Through artistic creation and cultural exchanges, they jointly promoted the Great Wall culture and inherited the national spirit. As the host of this event, the Mutianyu Great Wall, with its towering posture, welcomed calligraphers, painters, cultural scholars, and international friends from all over the country, allowing the thousand-year-old city walls to take on a new lease of life through brushstrokes, ink, and light and shadow.
Sketching and Field Trips: Recording the Beauty of the Great Wall through Art
Calligraphers and painters had already entered the Mutianyu Great Wall scenic area for on-site sketching and creation one after another as early as June 30. The sketching and field trip team led by Wang Tiansheng — President of the Modern Gongbi Painting Academy, Researcher of the China National Academy of Painting, and Leader of the Great Wall Art Sketching and Field Trip Team — went deep along the Great Wall, recording the magnificent appearance and historical vicissitudes of the Great Wall with painting brushes.
Solemn Oath: Safeguarding the Great Wall Cultural Heritage
On July 1, the event kicked off with the magnificent "Chinese Dragon" drum dance performance by the folk art troupe from Wulong Mountain, Dandong, Liaoning. Subsequently, four oath leaders — Liu Yanning, former Supervisor of the China High-Tech Industrialization Research Association; Dong Yaohui, Director of the China Great Wall Culture Research Center and Chief Expert of the China Great Wall Society; Wang Tiansheng, President of the Modern Gongbi Painting Academy, Researcher of the China National Academy of Painting, and Leader of the Great Wall Art Sketching and Field Trip Team; and Ma Ziyue, a renowned bass singer — led all guests in solemnly reading the "Oath of Great Wall Inheritors", expressing their firm determination to protect the Great Wall and inherit its culture, echoing the spirit of the Mutianyu Great Wall that has stood firm for thousands of years.
Gathering of Celebrities: Discussing the Inheritance of Great Wall Culture
At the launching ceremony, several heavyweight guests delivered speeches. Yu Fu, former Deputy Director of the Policy Research Office of the State Council, emphasized that the Great Wall is a spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation, and artistic creation is an important way to inherit culture. Dong Yaohui, Chief Expert of the China Great Wall Society, pointed out: "Telling the story of the Great Wall well through art is the mission of cultural workers in the new era." General Huang Qiguo, Director of the PLA Television Publicity Center, and Wang Kaiwen, former Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, also elaborated on the profound significance of the Great Wall culture from the perspectives of cultural communication and international exchanges. The event also witnessed the "Great Wall Cup" handover ceremony, where representatives from the fourth stop of the series of activities — the Niangziguan Great Wall in Shanxi — passed the crystal Great Wall Cup, symbolizing cultural inheritance, to Guo Min, Deputy General Manager of Beijing Mutianyu Great Wall Tourism Service Co., Ltd., representing the Mutianyu Great Wall, implying the passing down of the Great Wall spirit from generation to generation.
Hu Zhenmin, Yu Fu, Huang Qiguo, Dong Yaohui, Wang Tiansheng, etc., awarded the "Great Wall Inheritor" honorary certificates to Liu Yanning, Wang Kaiwen, Guo Zhenjian, Guo Jiying, and Chen Fengling respectively.
Art Feast: Multifaceted Display of the Great Wall's Charm
The launching ceremony featured a variety of cultural performances, including the recitation "I Love the Long March, I Love the Great Wall". The world intangible cultural heritage "Gesar Auspicious Dance"(格萨尔吉祥舞), which made an appearance at the Beijing Winter Olympics, also added a strong cultural atmosphere to the scene. Artists showcased the profoundness and extensiveness of the Great Wall culture through various forms such as calligraphy, painting, and music.
Inheriting the Mission: Great Wall Culture Goes Global
At the end of the event, Hu Zhenmin, Executive Deputy Director of the China National Committee for the Well-being of the Next Generation, announced the official launch of the "Unique Splendor at Mutianyu" art tour exhibition. All participating guests jointly shouted "Long live the Great Wall! We are Great Wall inheritors!", pushing the on-site atmosphere to a climax. As a 5A-level scenic spot and a national first-class forest fire prevention zone, the Mutianyu Great Wall has always adhered to the concept of "protection first, inheritance as the key" to promote the in-depth integration of culture and tourism.
This "Unique Splendor at Mutianyu" event is not only an art feast but also a practice of cultural inheritance. In the future, the Mutianyu Great Wall will continue to work with the organizers, taking the art tour exhibition as an opportunity to enable more people to understand the spiritual essence of the Great Wall through painting brushes, lenses, and words.
