[MUSIC] So our third topic or question is, are Chinese paintings a kind of abstract art? >> There are many different stories and idioms about the art of Chinese painting. One of the most popular stories is known as the short idiom [FOREIGN]. The story has thousands of years of history. Here, [FOREIGN] is painting a dragon and Dian Jing is adding eyes. The legend says that when eyes were added to an almost finished and perfect painted dragon, the dragon suddenly became alive, and it flew into the air. >> I know there is also another idiom called [FOREIGN], am I correct? >> Shen Bi Ma Liang. >> Shen Bi Ma Liang and it's a story about a child prodigy who was so good at painting that whatever he paints becomes alive and real. Both these idioms or stories illustrate what Chinese people thought about the art of painting, literally for them, painting is almost like a magic power that may change our daily reality. This power lies in the painter who is able to grasp the essence or the soul of the things that he draws. >> Yes. And Chinese painters do not strive to present the things or daily reality exactly how they are. But at same time, they are good at observing and imitating the shape of the real world. >> Yeah. We've discussed a lot about this famous painting, [FOREIGN]. Actually it's a painting of shrimps and in that painting, there are no colors, no light, no shades as we usually are used to that. But still, just with simple lines, the artist who painted that was able to produce a realistic picture. Anyone who looks at that painting immediately knows what is there. You can even sense the movement of the shrimps, the vitality there. >> Another painting called Fu Chun Shan Ju Tu, at first, may appear as an abstract image of the scenery of nature. However, if one goes to the Fu Chun Shan mountains himself, one will find that the clouds, the mist, the mountains, and the rocks in the painting area are exactly on the page. >> Have you been to those mountains? >> Yeah, I've been there twice. It's just like when you are sitting on the boat, you're just like traveling independent. >> That's really nice. I hope you will show it in the media part, so everyone can experience by themself. We are almost running out of time, and we would like to summarize quickly what we talked today. I would like to say first that the Chinese paintings have very interesting, very sophisticated relation with daily reality. >> Yeah. >> What kind of relation? On one hand, Chinese paintings reflect reality but on the other hand, they are not just a copy of reality, not just a photography. Chinese paintings, they strive to catch the most impressive moments in time and put them on this Chinese paper, on a silk paper. >> On a scroll. >> Or on a scroll. The idea is that only this kind of painting, the way you draw it, contains the charming power. It's like let the painting become reality. >> Yes, the painting is alive. >> Yes, it's not like reverse, the order is reversed for what we are use to. >> In some sense, this is the highest aim, given by Chinese philosophy. By employing painters, masters tried to express the essence of the thing, and that's what we understand by reality, that it could be also said that this essence is made both of the thing being painted and of the painter's character and thought. >> As I understood it, the reality is not just all there, it's not just inside but it's both, that's a beautiful idea. I think that's all what we wanted to say this time to you, I hope you enjoyed. >> And I really want to actually open the door for you. >> We emphasize again really trying hard to open the doors. Thanks everybody for watching. >> Bye bye. >> See you next time. [MUSIC]