On September 18, the 6th Bauhinia Cup Cross-Strait and Hong Kong-Macau Youth Painting and Calligraphy Competition (Chongqing Division) kicked off in the beautiful Purple Wicker Gate Lavender Manor, Huangshui Town, Shizhu County, and launched the "Beauty of Lavender; Love from Poetry, Painting, and Calligraphy" charitable activity for local farmers. Famous poet Fu Tianlin and famous painter Fang Fengfu attended the activity. Together with 20 teenage painters from Huangshui Primary School, they recited poems, painted pictures, and shared landscapes in a bid to promote rural tourism in Huangshui.
The event strengthens the relationship between children.
Masters of art and children paint the scenery in the Lavender Manor
"Lavender Manor is located at 30 degrees north latitude. Here, the sunshine is the brightest, and the rain is the most abundant. The land is strewn with beautiful lavender, and poetry, calligraphy, and paintings created here promise love." Feeling inspired in Lavender Manor, famous poet Fu Tianlin wrote this Lavender Manor on the spot. She hoped the children would immerse in the beauty around them. "Children, observe life with your heart and you will become caring little poets."
Later, famous painter Fang Fengfu taught 20 students the skills of painting flowers and birds in plain language and walked into nature together with children to paint the scenery of the Lavender Manor.
Fang Fengfu taught children to paint in the classroom.
"Children, there are so many morning glories around us. Let's catch their likeness with quick brush strokes." The 20 children surrounded and listened carefully to Fang Fengfu. The children nodded and pondered deeply. They simply wanted to remember every word that Fang Fengfu said. Later, 83-year-old Fang Fengfu taught the children how to sketch from nature in a sea of lavender, how to observe flowers, how to draw the outline of flowers, and how to compose the picture. He sketched from nature together with these students patiently and vigorously.
Wang Manman, a grade-4 student at Huangshui Primary School, said that she had not learned Chinese painting yet. The morning glories painted by Fang Fengfu were very beautiful; she wanted her mom to take her to a Chinese painting class. "We sketched from nature in the manor today, and Grandma Fu wrote a poem. I like this poem very much. It is beautiful. She asked us to observe life and become a little poet, and I will learn from her."
Fang Fengfu taught children to paint outdoor.
After the review of the works of some competition areas in the preliminary competition of the 6th Bauhinia Cup Cross-Strait and Hong Kong-Macau Youth Painting and Calligraphy Competition (Chongqing Division), the organizing committee specially invited the contestants who performed outstandingly to go to remote counties of Chongqing together with masters of art to hold a charitable activity for local farmers. The masters of art shared their experience in painting and calligraphy creation with local children while showcasing local scenery in the form of paintings and poems to promote local tourism.
Zhang Yinlan, the broadcaster of Vision Network of Chongqing Internet TV Station, conducted a live webcast of this activity, displaying the beauty of Lavender Manor from all angles to the world. Some university student volunteers joined this activity to create short videos on Douyin, and showcase the unusual beauty here. They hoped that more and more friends would come to Shizhu for the culture and scenery here, and fall in love with the Lavender Manor.
Tan Xiaoxue, the student of Chongqing University, and the child
Welcome to Shizhu
Shizhu County is the hometown of Goldthread in China, the hometown of Chili in China, the largest water shield production base in China, and the birthplace of the world classic folk song Beaming With Joy At Sunrise and one of the first batch of national intangible cultural heritages — Tujia Luoerdiao. It has won the titles of "Natural Oxygen Bar in China", "Climate Tourism Destination in China (Chongqing)" and "Hometown of Healthy Food in China".
The Tujia-style party at night
Shizhu County is also a poverty-stricken county at the national level. Purple Wicker Gate Lavender Manor, Huangshui Town, is located on the top of the Qiyue Mountain, covering an area of over 500 mu, over 200 mu of which are fragrant flowers standing in the fresh air. The manor founder is a local villager. Due to poor management and the impact of COVID-19, he has suffered a great loss, and the manor cannot survive. Therefore, the organizing committee of the Competition specially planned this charitable activity to help farmers tide over difficulties.
A person in charge of the organizing committee hoped to take various measures to promote scenic Huangshui in Hong Kong and Macao, spread the beauty of mountain-enclosed Lavender Manor, and attract more tourists. "We also put forward some suggestions for the improvement of the manor, hoping that the Lavender Manor will regain its vitality as soon as possible so that the people here can continue to make money in their hometown". At the same time, the children in Huangshui Primary School, Shizhu County, will mail the local specialties Chinese goldthread and lavender to children in Hong Kong and Macao, so that students in Chongqing, Hong Kong, and Macao can get to know each other and build lasting solidarity among them through this Competition.