Painting is a long-standing Chinese tradition dating back 2,000 years! Back then, people would commonly paint on the walls of tombs to protect the dead from evil spirits. Over time, painting started to become more and more common, serving other roles and functions, such as religious and philosophical purposes as well as communication of ideas and symbolism. Despite there being influences from other cultures in China throughout different periods of time, Chinese artwork remained very distinctly Chinese and still has its own recognizable style.
Some of the brightest paintings I saw were on the buildings of the Temple of Heaven and Summer Palace. Both of these are historical sites in Beijing. The colors primarily used were red, blue, light brown and bright white. The paintings would follow intricate lines and designs with outdoor scenery occasionally depicted. What I found most impressive was that entire rooms, walls, and even whole buildings would be painted in this way. I later learned that the paint, while also nice to look at, was more to protect the wood underneath it from the outside elements. The wood served as a blank canvas for people to tell stories. Eventually, more and more of those stories were painted on until entire corridors were filled. These paintings occasionally need touch-ups because they're older, but otherwise, they are mostly original pieces of which we can learn about the past from.
In other areas of Beijing, paintings are used to make communities more beautiful. These paintings usually involve plants or animals or are relevant to an important aspect of Chinese life and culture.
