Art exhibition blends children's creativity with traditional culture

The "Children Paint Prince Kung's Palace" exhibition, showcasing the achievements of the museum's youth art education program, opened at the Jiale Hall in Prince Kung's Palace Museum on Oct 1, beginning the National Day holiday with an artistic touch.

This year, the museum, in collaboration with the "14th Five-Year Art Subject Innovation Platform" of the Beijing Institute of Education and the Beijing Students' Golden Sail Academy of Painting and Calligraphy, has launched the "Children Paint Prince Kung's Palace" art education program with structured course objectives and a refined curriculum system. 

Spanning 16 courses and themed around five aspects of Prince Kung's Palace – the collection, the cultural events, the iconic symbols, the architecture, and the refined lifestyles, the program has engaged 20 school-based student clubs and almost 600 teachers and students. A total of 150 outstanding works created by them have been selected to be displayed at the exhibition.

The main exhibition hall features children's works illustrating architecture, iconic symbols and the refined lifestyles of Prince Kung's Palace. They offer a lively and creative blend of tradition and modernity, based on the children's understanding and respect for the history, culture and structures of the site, their own insights, as well as modern artistic elements and methods of expression. Visitors can stroll in a cultural space that embodies the vibe of the palace while maintaining a sense of childlike wonder and creativity.

The eastern exhibition hall showcases a striking contrast between the woodwork of official and civilian architecture through paper sculptures, sketches and ceramics. The western exhibition hall introduces, through images and texts, the museum's efforts and achievements in exploring youth art education in recent years.

From delicate lines to vibrant colors, from traditional symbols to modern elements, and from classic techniques to cutting-edge AI technology, each work represents a dialogue between children’s hearts and traditional culture. Through their unique perspectives and sincere expressions, the children present a familiar yet fresh image of Prince Kung's Palace and reveal their boundless potential in cultural inheritance and innovation.

Thanks to the successful cooperation with participating schools, children benefit from the professional educational resources from both sides and have a platform to showcase their artistic talents.

Students take the "Soaring Dragon Brings Promising Blessings" course at the Beijing Zhicheng Primary School.

Students from the Tsinghua University Affiliated Primary School visit Prince Kung's Palace Museum and participate in the plein-air painting activity.

Looking ahead, the museum will continue to uphold its mission of "preserving culture, inspiring wisdom and serving the public" and contribute further to the development of youth art education by instilling a correct sense of aesthetics and deeply rooting the rich Chinese cultural heritage in the hearts of children.

The exhibition runs until February 2025.