Country for PR: China
Contributor: Xinhua News Agency
Tuesday, November 21 2023 - 13:48
AsiaNet
Rizhao Economic and Technical Development Zone: Freehand Sketching Outlines a New Landscape of "Intangible Cultural Heritage and Cultural Creativity"
RIZHAO, China, Nov. 21, 2023 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--

Recently, at the "Enterprises Boosting the Development of Villages" conference 
in Rizhao, the Donghanjia Village Freehand Sketching Workshop in Rizhao 
Economic and Technical Development Zone was recognized as a "model project" for 
fostering collaboration between villages and enterprises and driving rural 
revitalization.

Elegantly white Zen clothing adorned with delicate pink peony patterns creates 
a stunning display. Nearby, a serene landscape painting has emerged on a 
cardboard canvas. From scarves to bags to shoes, every item becomes a "carrier" 
of freehand sketching, showcasing its beauty.

The workshop serves as a platform for villagers to acquire basic skills, while 
some have even mastered the art of creating their own works. As a significant 
cultural and creative project, the workshop plays a pivotal role in fostering 
community collaboration, developing local economies, and exploring cultural 
development. In 2022, Asia Symbol Pulp Co., Ltd. invited professional artists, 
purchased painting brushes and pigments, and established a freehand sketching 
workshop. Over the course of six months, the project successfully trained 56 
women without prior painting experience in various techniques, including 
intricate style painting, freehand brushwork, color painting, and farmer 
painting. This initiative not only created employment opportunities for women 
in the village and surrounding areas, but also contributed to the growth of the 
freehand sketching industry.

In the present day, the workshop is receiving a continuous influx of orders. It 
has successfully integrated resources and accumulated vast experience in 
developing a wide range of freehand sketching products. The trainees have 
transformed into exceptional painters and are now competing with one another. 
Excitingly, the village's intangible cultural heritage freehand sketching 
project recently received the "Award of Excellence" in the start-up group of 
the 5th Shandong Women's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. This 
achievement has injected fresh energy into the development of intangible 
cultural heritage within the village. 

Cultural revitalization plays a vital role in the overall rural revitalization. 
The project aims to merge study tours, community charity activities, and 
cultural creative products, while emphasizing the aspects of inheritance, 
development, and utilization. By doing so, it endeavors to revive the 
contemporary allure of intangible cultural heritage and enhance the image of 
local rural revitalization.

Source: Party Group of Rizhao Economic and Technical Development Zone

Image Attachments Links:

   Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=443326

   Caption: A female painter is painting peony on silk at the workshop.

   Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=443333

   Caption: Women are engaged in daily practice of painting skills at the 
workshop.