Chongqing- In order to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Scroll of Baoding Grottoes made its debut at the Art Museum of Dazu District on May 7. The attention of experts and residents was attracted by the 50-meter scroll of traditional Chinese painting on the Dazu Rock Carvings, a world cultural heritage.

Visitors appreciating the scroll

Sponsored by the Publicity Department of the CPC Dazu District Party Committee, the Dazu Rock Carvings Research Institute, and other organizations, the debut exhibited a total of 100 pieces of traditional Chinese painting works by the local painter Chen Pengcheng in different periods. Those works, including the 10-meter scroll of Changzhou Ancient Town, feature rock carvings, ancient towns, landscapes, figures, and epidemic control.

With the focus on the three typical episodes of Zhao Zhifeng, the main creator and sculpturer of Baoding Rock Carvings, namely becoming a monk for filial piety, learning sutra at Mimou, and enlightenment at Baoding, the Scroll of Baoding Grottoes depicts the grand scene at the Vajrayana ashram of Baoding Rock Carvings.  Tens of thousands of different-looking statues of Buddha get along splendidly with the picturesque landscape.

Visitors appreciating the scroll

It took Chen five years to accomplish the painting of the work. For a long time, he encountered many difficulties, such as expressing the rock statues in the grottoes, dealing with the color of rock Buddha, reproducing the incomplete statues, and initiating the transformation between emptiness and solidness, and connecting realism with exaggeration. In pursuit of the acme, Chen often racked his brains, forgot to eat and sleep, changed the draft of some parts many times, and even repeatedly discussed the expression methods with experts before finalizing.

According to Chen, in the process of creation, he received strong support from all walks of life, which made him feel very excited. Next, he will devote himself to the creation of paintings on the Rock Carvings of Beishan Mountain. In his lifetime, Chen will strive to complete the paintings on the rock carvings of all the five mountains, which are the most representative of the world cultural heritage.