Two thousand years ago, in the first year of Han Wu Empire, colorful cloud was seen in the south, so special envoy was sent there to trace, then came the name of Yunnan(South of colorful cloud). In this ancient and mysterious land, towering mountains, the gorgeous waterfall, green forest, valley with apes were seen. There are many different kinds of natural resources and the profound culture. However, two thousand years later, the environment was damaged seriously besides culture.
This exhibition aims to objectively reflect the environmental problems faced in Yunnan, and to illustrate in oil paintings, trying to explore the new methods and new ideas to solve the problems. The goals to motivate everyone to take an active part in environmental protection, to make our earth more beautiful with blue sky, cleaner air, greener mountains and purer water. This will benefit contemporary people as well as our descendants. The environmental protection is closely related to each of us, and this art show also needs your participation and spreading!
1. Birds singing in the foggy forest
There were many wild green peacocks in Yunnan. But according to the census in 1995,only about 1000 were found, and the 2014 census showed even rare. Unless protective measures are taken, wild green peacocks are likely to become extinct within 10 years.
His art work shows the quiet forest, the genial sunshine, clear streams, special trees, illustrating the graceful and mysterious breath of tropical rainforest. Male and female peacocks crow in the early morning, full of vitality.
2. Pesticide pollution
Liu Mingyuan (student of China Art Academy )
In recent years, with the abuse of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and hormones, birds have decreased dramatically. Clear streams, fish and shrimp are hardly seen. Due to polluted environments and genetically modified food, people suffer from various strange diseases at an increasing number.
Painted in a cold gray tone, the art work shows turbid water, shore littered with bottles of various pesticides, packages, suggesting that farmland and water are polluted.
3. Simao pine trees in tear
Wuliang mountain is located in Jingdong county of Pu 'er city(Originally called Simao).The villagers in the mountains have very backward economy mode, namely killing the goose for the eggs. Simao pine trees were cut for sap, with the trunk scars red like the faces of the monster. Cheap Labour and cheap sap did not make the villagers rich, but pines of decades or even hundreds years of age are destroyed!
4. Terror happened last night
Taxus Chinensis (Chinese Yew) is a state-level endangered plant. It is valuable because its bark contains some ingredient that can be the best anti-cancer drugs. Many villagers sneak into the mountain to peel the bark at night to avoid the close watch in the day times.
This work illustrates the terrible damage by showing golden monkeys startled by what they found on the peeled Chinese Yew in the early morning.
5. Azaleas being cut down
There are more than 320 kinds of azalea in Yunnan, which is a important repository of azalea in the world. Some azaleas are more than 500 years old, even over 1600 years. The trees grow very slowly with beautiful veins. Many azaleas have been cut down by outlaws to make wooden crafts for sale.
6. Digging Wormgrasses
With merchants’ hype, the price of wormgrasses rises rapidly, attracting many villagers to dig them out from mountain meadow. Due to the harsh climate in the high mountains, the meadow, once destroyed, is difficult to restore, which has accelerated the process of desertification.
In this art work, mother smiles with the new find, while her child cries from cold. It reflects the hardships of surviving for those people.
7. Trade of wormgrass
Wormgrass wrapped in layers of cloth, is precious in seller’s heart; however the consumer seems indifferent. The rough hand and bleeding fingers, nails with hidden dirt of the digger have sharp contrast with the white and tender hand of the consumers. This contrast truly reflects the miserable living condition of poor people.
8. Shepherd toasting potatoes
For the shepherds raising sheep up the mountain, a few potatoes are food for a whole day. In order to increase their income, the villagers keep more and more livestock, which result in serious grassland degradation
Shepherd in the picture looks depressed, and a sheep closely nestled seems to be comforting him.
9.Carrying firewood
In many rural areas, firewood is still main cooking fuel, which has worsened the environmental problem by destructing forests.
10. Abandoned bio-gas tank
In order to protect the forest, the state invested 5.2 billion yuan to help rural area to construct biogas tanks. However, many have become an "uncompleted project" or been abandoned, due to the bad engineering quality or lack of maintenance. Stinking and causing pollution, many begins to be dismantled.
11. Film and television base
The beautiful scenery and ethnic culture in Yunnan have attracted a lot of film and television teams. Some casts built road sand destructed plants in making films. The Bigu Lake in shangri-la is an example. The original beauty has not been restored for many years.
12. Making new tourism scenic area
There are many beautiful ethnic villages in Yunnan. Tourism boosts the local economy, and at the same time, brings damage to the natural environment. The jackfruit trees smell attractive fragrance in the early foggy morning. Not far away a construction site is under tense work. In the lower left corner of the shade, mother pangolin and her child escape in panic. There is nothing wrong with economic development, but what matters is how to protect the environment, maintain and inherit the original folk custom.
13. Pineapple field on the banks of the Lancang river
Lancang river once flourished with dense forest and various animals and plants. In recent decades, however, many forests have been cut down and set fire to make room for economic crops. Seriously damaged by the deforesting and living sewage, Lancang river water is no longer fit for drinking now. It is becoming the second Yellow River in China if not protected. In this painting, people are full of the joy of harvest in pineapple field, while forests are being cut down and burnt, which is worrying.
14. Human and animals fight for water
Deforestation has caused serious soil erosion and water shortage. In 2009, the worst drought in 50 years has caused drinking problem for 6.63 million people and 4.05 million heads of live stocks. The little girl gazed at the small amount of dirty water besides her big bucket, while in the distance a few cows were driven away by the man, looking back to the puddle, poor.
15. Degradation Plateau wetland
Now many wetlands have degraded and dried up, causing terrible consequences: a large amount of carbon dioxide have been released and greatly increased the speed of climate warming. In this painting, valleys and rock bare, mud crack. A black-necked crane is moaning lonely, symbol of the pain of the earth.
16. Melting Meili Snow Mountain Glaciers
Melting glaciers not only cause loss of freshwater resources, rising sea levels, and flooding, but also more terrible result: prehistoric virus in the glaciers are released, causing the spread of more horrible diseases and epidemics. The white skeletons in the painting are climbing out from the water, symbol of death.
17. Sad Snow Lotus
With the global warming, the environment for snow lotus has suffered serious damage. The grow altitude of snow lotus has risen from 1800 meters to 3500 meters now. This herbal medicine is rare to see. In this painting, the Tibetan girl is trembling with cold, teary-eyed, warming her right hand with breath, while holding a snow lotus tightly. The fate of the people and snow lotus is just the same. Human will be eliminated by nature if the environment is badly damaged.
18. Miners
Yunnan is rich in mineral, known as the "nonferrous metal kingdom". Because of the great profits, a large number of individual miners have been attracted here, mining with simple tools and primitive method of excavation, which has not only caused safety problems, but also great waste and environmental pollution.
19. Forest fire
The windy and dry weather in springs and winters often cause serious forest fires, causing heavy property loss and casualties. In addition to natural reasons, human farming, mining, construction cave fire, firecrackers, etc., are also important causes of forest fires. This painting is framed with unique butter lamps, hoping to bring bless for those fire fighters.
20. Rocky desertification
Rocky desertification is the most serious ecological problems in Karst landscape regionsin the southwest of China, known as "cancer" of the earth. The situation is very serious in Yunnan. Farmers have to grow crops among the gaps of the rocks.
21. Xiangwang Li, expert of curbing rocky desertification
Li Xiangwang,professor of Southwest Forestry University, together with his wife Lu Su-juan (professorof ecology), after 20 years of hard efforts, have finally changed 800 thousand acres of stone mountain in Yunnan into green farmland. Their research has notonly protected the ecological environment, prevent soil erosion, but also make the local people get out of poverty. They are really worthy of respect and attention of the society.
22. YangShanzhou
YangShanzhou, a retired old man, has devoted to tree planting for 22 years, creating forestation area of 56000 acres. The former barren hills are transformed intoan oasis, which has greatly improved local environment. In 2012 he was named asone of the “The top ten characters touching China "and he is worthy of respecting.
Progressmade in environmental protection
Many people have a misconception concerning environment:lots of developed countries also had serious environmental problem indeveloping economy. The environment was restored after governance. So in the economic development in our country, environmental pollution is inevitable. This understanding is totally wrong. Some people even put forward " pollutionfirst, governance afterward." Actually, economic development at the cost of environmental pollution not only cause severe damage to the society and nation, but also cost much higher to cure the pollution than to prevent inadvance. The good news is that many parts of Yunnan has changed tradition alideas and care about environmental protection. New ideas and new measures of sustainable development has made great achievement.
Below are a few paintings incontrast, showing the change.
23. Pollution in Dianchi Lake
200 milliontons of sewage were poured into Dianchi Lake each year, leading to rapid reproduction of algae. The decay of algae release harmful gases such ashydrogen chloride, becoming another source of pollution. This painting shows a barge that is filtering the algae, pouring the dirty water into the lake again.
24. After the change: Returning farmland to lake in Chengjiang
Chengjiang was known as the "plateau pearl". A few years ago, increasing pollution is causing similar tragedy in Chengjiang Lake. Since 2011, Yuxi city began to conduct a new strategy, evacuating farmers and enterprises from the bank of the lake and return the land to lake, wetland and wood. The water quality has improved obviously. The beautiful lake scenery and pleasant environment has attracted many tourists. Tourism boosts the sustainable development.
25. Dying rubber trees
In the traditional rubber plantation, no other plants were grown. Soil erosion and singleness of plants caused severe forest diseases and pests, and vast rubber trees died consequently.
26. Rubber plantation and Elephantopus scaber
After years of experiment in the Chinese academy of Tropical Agriculture, Elephantopus scaber has been successfully inter-planted in rubber forests. This grass is not only of medicinal value, but also an ideal soil cover to prevent the water loss and soil erosion, increasing plant diversity and disease resistance as well. It has also increased the farmers’ income.
27. Coffee plantation and elephants in tears
In many tropical areas, forest was cut for coffee-planting. It has not only destroyed the natural environment, but also invaded the habitat of elephants and other wildlife. Tragedy of mutual killing between human and elephants happened often. The elephants in the painting are leaving their habitats reluctantly and helplessly.
28. Coffee planting in the rainforest
Yunnan Aini Group has changed the traditional concept of coffee planting. Without destroying the rainforests, they plant coffee in the gaps of forest trees, and trees provide shade for the coffee, a good symbiotic relationship. This company has successfully introduced 34 coffee varieties from all over the world and obtained good economic benefit.
29. Yunnan Baiyao Notoginseng Planting Base
Notoginsengis one of the major components of Yunnan Baiyao. Yunnan Baiyao Group advocates the idea of "green, environmental protection", cooperating with local government and farmers and setting up all kinds of herbal medicine planting bases. The company standardizes the region of medicinal plants, picking time and production process, to ensure the quality of baiyao from the source. This kind of company + peasant household production pattern has increased the income of local farmers, and also contributed to the local environmental protection.
30. South Paris Polyphylla (Nan Chong Lou)Planting Base
Nan Chong Lou is one of the major components of Yunnan baiyao. Yunnan Baiyao Group set up planting base in Wuding county and built the largest Nan Chong Lou live database in the world by keeping 23 different species of this herbal medicine.
31. Herbal Garden
Yunnan Baiyao Group has established Yi medicinal herbal planting base in Wuding county, where it functions as herbal species protection, development, scientific research, popular science education and tourism scene as a whole. This base has collected 168 kinds of baiyao herbal medicine and Yi medicinal live plants, making important contribution to the protection and exploitation of medicinal plants in Yunnan and the world.
Creating nature reserve
In order to protect endangered species of wild fauna and flora and maintain the natural ecological system, China has set up many national and provincial nature reserves. These natural reserves combine scientific research, education, production and tourism, making good ecological, social and economic benefits. Nature reserves have played an important role in conserving water, protecting soil, improving the environment, maintaining ecological balance and flora and fauna breeding.
32. XiShuangBanNa Nature Reserve
This state reserve aims to protect the tropical rain forest ecosystem and rare animals and plants. This painting is characteristic with tall banyan trees and clear springs, showing the mysterious deep forests with vitality. The Indo-Chinese tiger in the forest also shows the diversity of rain forest animals.
33. Evacuating From The Natural Reserve
Three Parallel River Region is a nature reserve that keep the intact changes in the earth crust and the evolution history of the earth, with unique geological value. It contains more than 210 families, 1200 genera and 6000 species of plants, 40% of them are unique to China, home to 8.5% of endangered plant species in China. In order to protect this "World Biological Gene Bank" from being destroyed by human activities, many residents have been evacuated from the protected areas.
34. Returning farmland to forest - Papaya plantation
In order to protect and improve ecological environment in western China, the state started the project of Returning Farmland to Forest and Grassland in 2002. The project has greatly promoted the ecological development and brought good economic benefit in western China. This painting illustrates with a papaya plantation in Ruili, raising good ecological agriculture.
35. Returning Farmland to Forest - Mango plantation
Planting mango in some tropical regions has both kept the soil and water from loss, and increase farmers' income. This art work describes peaceful rural scenery, recalling the joy of childhood.
36. Environment-protecting Fuel
In the chilly morning, Tibetans are cooking milk tea with dry yak dung, a kind of environment-protecting fuel. That is a good recyclable way.
37. Wind and solar energy power station
Wind and solar energy is a clean pollution-free renewable energy. Since 2005, China has issued Renewable Energy Law and related provisions to promote wind and solar energy power generation. Several large solar and wind power stations have been established in Dali for its advantage in windy and long sunny climate.
38. Growing trees for Commemoration
The trees planted by the old couples at the birth of their son have grown up large. Now they are planting trees to celebrate the birth of their grandson. This new concept of celebration brings great benefit to the environment.
The significance of environmental protection
Archaeological discovery has discovered some relics of some ancient countries buried in the desert and Gobi of the western China. The former fertile land disappears because of the deterioration of the environment. The planet provides habitats and space for human activity. If the destroy of environment has gone to extreme, it would lead to the abnormal change in the human body. Especially in recent years the production and use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics, ripening agent, transgenic food have severely polluted our land, water and air, and have caused many terrible diseases. With the increasingly destructive looting of nature, nature has begun to punish human in return. Human have to suffer from the increasing incidence of extreme weather, like floods, droughts, snowstorms, sandstorms, extreme heat, cold, and various epidemic diseases.
Protect the environment so that we human beings can live in harmony with nature; Safeguard the ecological balance so that our children can thrives on earth.
Introduction of the painter
Liu Yong, contemporary painter. He has deep research and interest in the folk customs in southwestern China, and has made many art works on this subject. In recent years, the painter has noticed a lot of environment problems, and began to pay attention to environmental protection and express the concern in his paintings. His works not only show environmental damage, cause, but also suggest solution to the problems. Both problems and the achievements in environment protection have been covered. Revealing the negative side aims to remind people of the sad reality, so as to find the methods to solve the problem, improving our living environment. We must not develop the economy at the cost of environment.
The painter employs a special painting style----strong-coloring painting to highlight the ethnic characteristic. Liu Yong also designs and makes unique frames with Tibetan and Dai ethnic style. This new frames are quite different from the European-style frames that was introduced into China since the Ming dynasty.
These frames achieve the perfect combination with the ethnic style paintings and has applied for national patent of appearance design successfully.
Contact： Jie He : 07440272275
Email: jinglian8@gmail.com
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