Culture
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| Thangka art |
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| Thangka art |
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| Pigment. |
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| An artist paints a piece of Thangka art. |
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| An artist paints a piece of Thangka art. |
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| Visitors watch Thangka arts at the exhibition. |
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| The brushes to paint the Thangka arts. |
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| Pigment. |
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| An artist paints a piece of Thangka art. |
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| Thangka art. |
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| Tools. |
On May 30th, the Qinghai Special Exhibition of Intangible Cultural Heritage was held at the Tianjin Culture Assets and Equity Exchange. There were more than 80 Thangka arts including Filigree Thangka and hand-painted Thangka on display at the exhibition. This was also the first time that Tibetan Sand Mandalas were shown in Tianjin. The exhibition will last until the end of June.
Regong Art is an important part of Chinese Tibetan Buddhist Art. Originating in the Wuhe River Valley of Qinghai Province (Tongren County of the Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture), Regong art is a successful mix of religious art by Tibetan and Tu ethnic minorities and local folk arts. In 2006, Regong Art was included among the first artworks in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection program.
Tips for Appreciation:
Thangka Art
Regong, which has the highest artistic levels and requires the best artists, is becoming the largest producer of Thangka art in China. Thangka usually requires paint made with natural plant or mineral pigments such as gold, silver, pearl, agate, turquoise, precious minerals, saffron and indigo. These natural materials ensure the painting can last for many years with its colors as bright and as fresh as when it was painted.
Tibetan Sand Mandala
The Mandala was introduced to China in the 11th Century. The painters use millions of grains of sand to make a painting, and the process may take a few days or months. The sands are polished by a special stone and applied by hand. The sand is of six colors - white, black, blue, red, yellow, and green. In addition to the white and black, the four other colors are also subdivided into deep, medium and light colors. In all, there are 14 colors that can be produced. The process of painting with the sand is difficult as the fragile patterns can be so easily destroyed but at the same time, the resulting works of art can be of unparalleled beauty.
