Memories of creating artwork for the CIIE shared by painting expert

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the China International Import Expo. The CIIE Bureau and the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) launched the "My CIIE Stories "activity on June 1 to invite people who were involved in the previous CIIE sessions to share their stories and have received a large number of warm responses so far. From today, this supplement will publish the excellent works of "My CIIE Stories".In July, the stories will center on "grand strategy", which will showcase the CIIE's role in promoting key national strategies, diplomatic relationships and international public goods. Let's follow the words written by the authors and look back on their wonderful moments from the past five years.

It has been nearly five years since the first China International Import Expo was held. As I look back, the creation of a traditional Chinese painting for the CIIE remains clear in my mind.

The painting is dubbed Chun Feng You Lyu Jiang Nan An, which literally means spring breeze has greened the southern shore of Yangtze River again.

It was an unexpected opportunity for me to create this huge painting. At noon on Oct 6, 2018, I received a phone call from the Publicity Department of the Shanghai Committee of the Communist Party of China during my business trip to Yixing of Jiangsu province, informing me to get back for a meeting at once. Then, I had to rush back to Shanghai halfway from my destination.

The meeting invited industry leaders from the art world to contribute ideas and help create a new traditional Chinese painting to be exhibited in the reception hall of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), with only 28 days ahead of the opening ceremony. Unexpectedly, I was asked to share my thoughts. I suggested two themes of creation, one of which was to demonstrate beautiful scenery featuring an iconic Jiangnan water town in the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

This theme was finally approved because it presents the cultures of Jiangnan and Shanghai, the host city of the CIIE.

The CIIE was launched as China marked the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up in 2018. The debut of the CIIE is not only a great innovation in the international trade development, but also a major decision made by China to promote a new round of high-level opening-up.

Through this painting, we hoped to express the excitement and delights of people in Shanghai and regions along the south bank of the Yangtze River in hosting the event which marked China's new-round reform and opening-up.

We devoted ourselves to making this artwork perfect. We used our expertise to enlarge the initial draft by more than 100 times to fit its designated size in the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) and ensure its aesthetic standard.

The artwork, with a height of 784 centimeters and a width of 1,310 cm, was the largest painting featuring a green landscape in China and even the world at that time. It was also a significant artwork in such a key national ceremonial place depicting the idyllic scenery of the mountains and rivers in the regions south of the Yangtze River.

The author is vice-chairman of the Shanghai Artists Association and director of the Arts Committee of the China International Import Expo.