Painting

Chinese art began a long time ago, in China's far off history. Even before the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD), the "golden age" of human figure drawing existed with line drawings of people in various actions. By the mid-Tang Dynasty, paintings featuring landscapes, flowers, and birds took flight. Mountains, forests, fields, and gardens became the focus of artists as landscapes had the capacity to divert one away from the exasperation of the material world into a peaceful realm.

Rulers of ancient China supported the art of painting. Some established art academies while others were merely lovers of art. Chinese artists prefer to paint to their own liking and without limitation. Free expression is their key motto. Their fondness for natural subject matters allows them to better utilize the brush and ink's latent talent. Realism in Chinese paintings does not play an important role. The effects of shadows and light are not the main focus in a painting. However, the basic component of Chinese art is the line, as it is in Calligraphy.

Although modern art has reached a toll in Taiwan, traditional art still remain a historical treasure that would be shared by generations to come.