Hu Jiefeng    March 15, 2007

    On the morning of March 14, a big ceremony was held at Pan Tianshou Square, Ninghai County, in commemoration of the 110th anniversary of the artist Pan Tianshou and for the inauguration of the Pan Tianshou Arts Center. Photo:  Officials at different levels attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Pan Tianshou Arts Center.

    A bunch of colorful balloons rose up in the air; booming saluting guns provided a further dainty for eyes and ears. Yesterday was the 110th anniversary of the traditional Chinese painting master Pan Tianshou. To commemorate the painting master of Ninghai County, to inherit his painting skills, to build Ninghai’s painting and calligraphy brands, to improve the image of the county, and to expand the country’s influence, in the morning, a big ceremony was held at Pan Tianshou Square in commemoration of the 110th anniversary of the artist and for the inauguration of the Pan Tianshou Arts Center. The heavy rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of official guests and visitors. They will always remember with great admiration the outstanding artistic achievements and the noble demeanor of Pan Tianshou.

    Seated on the rostrum were Wang Jiayang, former Chairman of the Zhejiang Provincial CPPCC Committee, Chen Miner, standing member of the Zhejiang provincial CPC Committee and Director of its Propaganda Department, Feng Yuan, Vice Chairman of The China Federation of literary and Art Circles (CFLAC), Liang Pingbo, Executive Vice Chairman of the Zhejiang Provincial CPPCC Committee, Pan Gongkai, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Vice Chairman of the China Artists Association, Tang Yijun, Vice Secretary of the Ningbo Municipal CPC Committee, Lin Lvjian, Director General of Radio & TV Bureau of Zhejiang Province, Huang Yazhou, Chairman of China Writers' Association, Zhuo Xianglai, standing member of the Ningbo Municipal CPC Committee and Director of its Propaganda Department, Chen Jiwu, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Ningbo Municipal People’s Congress, Cheng Yuechong, Vice Mayor, Fu Dan, Vice Chairman of the Ningbo Municipal CPPCC Committee, and county leaders Lin Jingguo, Wang JianHou, Dai Linjun, Yang Jiahe, Xu Guangxian, Wang Jianyun, and You Lingjuan. Xie Qunhua, Deputy Secretary of the Ninghai County CPC Committee presided over the ceremony.

    Feng Yuan, vice chairman of The China Federation of literary and Art Circles (CFLAC) said in a speech that Pan Tianshou was an outstanding Chinese artist and an important founder of the modern Chinese painting teaching. His works are genuine and down to earth, with inherent beauty and the deepest spiritual strength of the Chinese nation. Ninghai County is the famed artist's hometown. Influenced by the master and his arts, painting and calligraphy arts have a very solid foundation in Ninghai and the creation of painting and calligraphy arts has reached considerable scale. We believe that, the establishment of the Pan Tianshou Arts Center not only is able to provide an exhibition venue for painting and calligraphy artists, but also greatly enhance the strength of the painting and calligraphy circle of Ninghai County. Mr. Feng expressed his hope that by this opportunity Ninghai would communicate with painting and calligraphy artists and lovers of China, carry out academic exchange, research and training activities, and promote the prosperity and development of cultural and artistic undertakings.

    Lin Jingguo said in his speech that at the occasion of the 110th anniversary of Pan Tianshou and the inauguration of Pan Tianshou Arts center, the Ninghai County CPC Committee and the Ninghai County government held grand celebration and commemoration activities, to memory the artist’s brilliant achievements and lofty spiritual level, to inherit and carry forward the traditional cultures, and to effectively promote culture and humanity construction of Ninghai County. Pan Tianshou Arts Center is a major cultural project, with over RMB 20 million invested by the Ninghai County CPC Committee and the county government, for the memorial of Mr. Pan and the promotion of the county’s cultural construction. It is a center to exhibit, display and disseminate arts and culture of Ninghai, a center for unique cultural education and arts training, and an important venue for art exchanges and the “interactive development” of tourism industry. It will play an important role in the inheritance and development of Mr. Pan’s painting skills, the advocate of Ninghai’s achievements, and the enhancement of Ninghai’s recognition.
    At the ceremony, Pan Gongkai, Pan Tianshou’s son, presented a collection of works to Pan Tianshou Arts Center. Chen Miner, standing member of the Zhejiang provincial CPC Committee and Director of its Propaganda Department, announced the inauguration of Pan Tianshou Ninghai County arts center.