The artistic giant Bada Shanren, who emerged from Nanchang 400 years ago and was named one of the "Top Ten Cultural Figures of Ancient China" by UNESCO, is the focus of a special exhibition celebrating his 400-year anniversary. The press conference for this event was held in Nanchang on 6/24. Attendees learned that the exhibition will open simultaneously at the Jiangxi Provincial Museum and the Bada Shanren Memorial Hall on 7/10 and run through 10/10.
129 Fine Works by Eight Great Masters of Painting and Calligraphy on Display
This exhibition brings together 129 masterpieces of calligraphy and painting by Bada Shanren from 22 leading cultural institutions nationwide. Co-hosted by the Jiangxi Provincial Museum and the Bada Shanren Memorial Hall, it marks the largest-ever showcase of Bada Shanren's art, elevating "Bada Shanren" as a premier cultural icon of Jiangxi.
The Jiangxi Provincial Museum is located on the fourth floor in the "Palace Hall," covering an area of 700 square meters, and will exhibit 25 piece(s)/set(s) of premium calligraphy and paintings by Bada Shanren. The Bada Shanren Memorial Hall, situated on the first and second floors of the Authentic Artifacts Building across four exhibition halls, spans 2100 square meters and will showcase 104 piece(s)/set(s) of Bada Shanren's calligraphy and paintings.
Two Calligraphy Masterpieces Unveiled Together for the First Time
The exhibition features 129 fine paintings and calligraphy works, of which 123 are precious cultural relics—a remarkably high proportion. "The special exhibition will showcase multiple Level-1 national cultural relics, including the Handscroll 'Flowers on the River' and the Hanging Scroll 'Ink Lotus.' The calligraphic masterpieces 'Eight Great Masters' Lanting Xu' and 'Running Script Imitation of Lanting Xu' will make their debut appearance together," said Zhou Xiaojian, Director of the Bada Shanren Memorial Hall.
At the event, Zhou Xiaojian highlighted two core exhibits. The first is "Ge Shan Xiao Xiang" (Portrait of Ge Shan), a flagship piece from the Bada Shanren Memorial Hall and the only universally recognized authentic portrait of Bada Shanren still in existence. The second is "River Flowers Scroll," housed at the Tianjin Museum. Spanning nearly 20 meters, this scroll represents the pinnacle of Bada Shanren's mastery of Chinese ink wash freehand painting techniques.
Create an immersive, highly engaging integrated cultural tourism experience
The exhibition spans two peak tourism periods: the summer vacation and the National Day holiday. In line with the integrated development of culture and tourism, the Jiangxi Provincial Museum and the Bada Shanren Memorial Hall have pooled resources to create an immersive, highly engaging cultural tourism experience.
At the Jiangxi Provincial Museum, the immersive "He Yuan" exhibit blends large-scale lotus art installations with dynamic projections of fish and birds. Viewers step into the artist's world through the perspective of Bada Shanren—stepping into a realm that is ancient, transcendent, ethereal, and serene. The "Zhen Shang" (True Appreciation) copy space features vivid depictions of animals painted by Bada Shanren, including fish, birds, deer, and cats, allowing visitors to discover the quiet elegance hidden within his simple, minimalist brushstrokes.
At the same time, we are releasing a limited edition of 400 high-fidelity reproductions of "Lotus on the River" scroll. Our new series of merchandise—“Animals as Guardians,” “Minimal Brush, Rich Meaning,” and “Ink Resonance with Negative Space”—features over 100 cultural creative products. These items integrate the unique and personalized artistic elements of Bada Shanren into everyday life for modern consumers, creating a new wave of Chinese-style emotional merchandise that resonates instantly with young audiences.