Chinese paintings exhibit at UN HQ calls for peace, harmony

"It is good that this is the first time you can see Chinese paintings on the wall inside the UN headquarters. So it is a welcoming sign," said a guest at the inauguration ceremony of the "China Lounge" on Monday.

J. Tuyet Nguyen told Xinhua about his appreciation toward Chinese art at the "China Lounge," the east foyer of the General Assembly Building of the UN of which the renovation work was funded by the Chinese government.

Two paintings created by Chinese painter Wang Linxu, entitled "Interactive World" and "Home of Us All" are hanging on the walls of the lounge as its interior decoration, showing respectively the image of bamboo and fusion of colors in a detached manner.

"The monumental installation on the west wall is entitled 'The Interactive World,' which should remind the member states and all those who enter the United Nations, to seek harmony and promote cooperation in this modern world," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his message to the ceremony.

"The painting on the east wall, entitled 'Home of Us All,' reminds each of us to work for a more sustainable future for our one and only planet," he said.

On the scene, people walked around and talked to each other, just under the two large paintings. Among them is Torres-Torija Fernando, one of the UN staff, who said the paintings are "very nice," "very modern" and with "universal values."

The Chinese government, in its effort to combine the charm and richness of Chinese culture with international aesthetics and the values of the United Nations, invited the painter who possesses innovated techniques on oriental and western painting to articulate messages from China to the viewers, said Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, when he addressed the ceremony.

Speaking of the messages delivered by the paintings, Kairat K. Abdrakhmanov, Kazakh permanent representative to the UN, said "this is exactly what we need at this very moment of global development when the international community is facing many challenges, and that is the very moment to learn from the Chinese civilization the deepest roots of harmony and peace."