A large delegation of leading Chinese painters, photographers and writers visit Zhejiang province's Longquan

LONGQUAN, China, Jan. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A tour event along Oujiang River and Longquan Mountain, co-organized by Zhejiang Online News, a news portal under the Zhejiang Provincial Government, was held in Longquan, Lishui, Zhejiang province recently. A large delegation of 70 leading Chinese painters, photographers and writers gathered in Longquan to get a close up and personal look at the scenery along the Oujiang River, passing through or along Fengyang Lake, Ou Jiang Yuan, Little Yellow Mountain, Longquan Waterfall as well as towering cliffs, forests of pine trees, and picturesque villages, among them, Lu'ao and Guanpuyang, with the aim of creating works that are a realistic portrait of the natural and cultural aspects of the area.

The delegation also enhanced their awareness of Longquan's celadon and swords when they paid a visit to the Longquan Celadon Museum as well as local artist studios and Longquan kilns. In addition to gaining a better understanding of the craftsmanship that goes into the production of Longquan celadon and swords, they also become better acquainted with some of the cultural heritage behind the manufacturing process as well as technical details of the process itself.

The delegation created a distinctive portrait of Longquan from an artistic point of view for the general public, bringing out the qualities of the locale that make it an ideal destination for anyone seeking romance, or wishing to live out their fantasies or dreams.

Long Yi, a Chinese writer whose spy novel was the basis for Lurk, a popular television series, said that the tour became his tribute to ancient Chinese ceramics. "I am enchanted by the ceramics from ancient times and I have read a lot of books on the topic, many aspects of which are, on the one hand, quite vivid and distinctive, and, on the other, still full of mystery for me. All the Longquan's celadon masters refer to themselves as craftsmen, yet, do so with modesty rather than with pride. They and their masterpieces are a reflection of the peak period of celadon culture," he added.

China Academy of Art professor Zhang Xiaoming, who admitted to a very special fondness for Guanpuyang, an ancient village in Longquan, said that the city's two villages Lu'ao and Guanpuyang, have differentiated themselves from other typical Chinese villages by virtue of their uniqueness. "With no major renovations, Lu'ao has remained as simple and unadorned as many other traditional villages in China. Located high up on Longquan Mountain, the well-preserved hilltop village showcases both the magnificent beauty of the surrounding nature and the original and unpretentious beauty of the village itself, yet has not been significantly impacted by tourism," said Tao Shihu, former deputy director of the Watercolor Art Committee of the China Artists Association, who said that he was also highly impressed by the appeal of Lu'ao. 

"I have spent quite a bit of time traveling around Zhejiang province, but this is the first time that I have visited a place within the province that has such deep cultural and historical roots. I sense that Longquan is a scenic village where we can have the closest contact with nature," said contemporary writer and poet Chen Cang. "The city has three spirits that are associated with and characterized by its three treasures: the historical spirit characterized by the celadon, the cultural spirit characterized by the swords and the natural spirit characterized by the landscape, made up of mountains, rivers and trees."

Well-known Chinese photographer Chen Xuewu who was visiting Longquan for the third time, commented, "I first came to the city in 1980s, yet, this time, I found that it has gone through dramatic changes in terms of both the cityscape and industrial development." Longquan has now become a destination well-known for photography and one that has attracted the attention of many photographers, which, in and of itself, is also an affirmation of its appeal. 

For more images, please visit:

http://gotrip.zjol.com.cn/201901/t20190115_9251632.shtml   
http://gotrip.zjol.com.cn/201901/t20190115_9251644.shtml 

About Longquan: Longquan, a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Lishui Municipality in Zhejiang province, is renowned for its celadon and swords.

SOURCE Zhejiang Online News