Memorial museum opens to promote ethnic culture

Jiang Yong (L), member of the standing committee of the CPC Lijiang Municipal Committee, and Xie Xiaofan, deputy head of the National Art Museum of China, unveil the Zhou Lin Memorial Museum to the public in Lijiang on May 10. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

A museum was opened to memorialize artist Zhou Lin in Lijiang, an ancient city in Yunnan province, on May 10. The 16th culture demonstration window in the city, the museum was built to promote folk and ethnic cultures.

Zhou Lin (1902-1977), of the Naxi ethnic group, was a famous traditional Chinese painter and poet from Yulong Naxi autonomous county of Lijiang city. He received a good education from a young age, and was always enthusiastically fond of painting. He created a great number of works which depict the landscapes and ethnic cultures of Yunnan. He made an outstanding contribution to the development of folk cultural heritages and to foster painting and calligraphy artists. In 1963, Zhou became the first person to put on a personal exhibition at the National Art Museum of China.

The museum, occupying some 330 square meters, cost more than six million yuan ($944,897). Constructed in traditional Naxi architecture style, the museum is comprised of several parts where visitors can learn about Zhou's life story, get a close look at his more than 80 paintings, and understand his lofty character and strong spirit.

Jiang Yong, member of the standing committee of the CPC Lijiang Municipal Committee, explained that the city will make good use of the culture demonstration windows, such as Fangguoyu Former Residence, Wang Pizhen Memorial Museum and Xueshan Academy, to promote Lijiang's traditional and ethnic cultures and build cultural brands for the city.