Painter's brush animates 24 solar terms

Start of Autumn, by Dai Shuliang. [Photo/e.thecover.cn]

The news that China's "24 Solar Terms" being inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Nov 30 delighted many Chinese people, including Dai Shuliang, a painter from Sichuan province.

Dai once created a series of Chinese ink paintings based on the 24 solar terms from 2008 to 2009. In these paintings, each solar term was presented through specific activities, which vitalized the traditional customs during the term.

"I created these pictures based on folkways from both North and South China, and some on folk customs in Sichuan," Dai said.

The bright colors and smooth lines in Dai's paintings vividly pictured the folk customs for each solar term.

Since the late 1980s, Dai has been illustrating folkways in Sichuan. His weekly picture of Chengdu folk customs was serialized for 10 years on Chengdu Evening News.

"I think folkways painting is more like a record of a place's history. People can learn about the customs of the past through these pictures," he said.

Dai was very careful during the project to avoid presenting incorrect customs.

"As a painter, it's my honor and duty to let local people know our hometown's customs through the paintings," Dai said.