Heze Calligraphy and Painting Academy

Heze Calligraphy and Painting Academy

Established in October 1985, the Heze Calligraphy and Painting Academy covers an area of 16,000 square meters with a construction area of over 9,000 square meters. It is a cultural institution integrating calligraphy and painting research, creation, exhibition, exchange, and collection. Currently, it is the largest municipal-level calligraphy and painting academy in China.

The architecture of the Heze Calligraphy and Painting Academy features both traditional ethnic characteristics and modern garden styles. Inside the compound, there are vine-covered corridors, pavilions, rockeries, fountains, and a stone-carved wall of the Thousand Character Classic. Pines and bamboos vie in beauty, while flowers bloom in riotous colors. The elegant landscape makes it ideal for calligraphy and painting. It has become a window for Heze’s opening-up, a hub for calligraphy and painting activities, an important tourist attraction, and a base for patriotic education. It is open to the public year-round. The two main exhibition halls in the east and west, with a total area of over 900 square meters, have hosted more than 200 various exhibitions. The Heze Stele Corridor, stretching over 400 meters, mainly reflects the scenery of Heze and praises the peonies of Heze. It also includes carved portraits and stories of historical figures. Many of the works are created by contemporary master calligraphers and painters, and also feature inscriptions by several great leaders and sages. These works are rich in national character, distinctly regional, and of exceptional artistic quality. The Heze Calligraphy and Painting Works Exhibition Hall displays carefully crafted pieces by local artists, representing the highest level of Heze’s calligraphy and painting art. The Chao Mei Print Art Exhibition Hall houses 80 premium prints donated by Mr. Chao Mei. These works primarily depict the passionate pioneering spirit and magnificent landscapes of people reclaiming the “Great Northern Wilderness,” blending history and artistry and showcasing Mr. Chao Mei’s exceptional printmaking skills. As such, the academy has been hailed as an “artistic marvel,” a “peerless gallery of paintings,” a “foundation of national culture,” and a “palace of calligraphy and painting.” Liu Bingzhen, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Vice Chairman of the Chinese Calligraphers Association, praised: “A divine root descends upon southwestern Shandong, where purple and yellow peonies bloom, along with black ones. With the addition of the Heze Calligraphy and Painting Academy, all who visit are bound to find deep connection.” The academy’s unique charm attracts visitors from all over. Former leaders such as Wan Li, former Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress; [various other high-ranking officials]; Wang Guangying and He Luli, Vice Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee; and Wan Guoquan, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, among others, have inspected the Heze Calligraphy and Painting Academy and spoke highly of it.

In 1985, the Heze Calligraphy and Painting Academy appointed Mr. Shu Tong as its chief advisor, and Su Yiran, Cui Zifan, Xu Linlu, Yu Xining, Liu Bingshen, and Liu Yi as honorary presidents. The academy also has over 120 external artists. On two occasions, the academy’s artists were invited to the Zhongnanhai compound to create 65 calligraphy and painting works for the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council. Over 2,000 calligraphy and painting works have been published in central and provincial newspapers and periodicals, more than 600 selected for national and provincial exhibitions, and the artists have held exhibitions in other regions over 60 times. The academy has published several large-format, high-quality albums, including “Liu Bingshen’s Regular Script Inscription on the Stele of the Heze Calligraphy and Painting Academy,” “Contemporary Chinese Flower-and-Bird Painting Collection,” “Selected Works of the Peony Cup Grand Prix,” “Heze Forest of Steles Collection,” and “Heze Calligraphy and Painting Academy.” In April 2000, a large photography exhibition of peonies by Gao Zhansheng, then Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, was held. Over 100 media outlets, including People’s Daily, CCTV, Shandong Daily, Shandong TV, Hong Kong Phoenix Chinese Channel, and Japanese news agencies, featured special reports or introductions about the academy and its artists.

Additionally, the Zhao Dengyu Memorial Hall, built within the academy, uses a wealth of detailed textual and visual materials to showcase the glorious achievements of General Zhao Dengyu, a native of Heze and a renowned anti-Japanese hero, throughout various periods of his life. It passionately celebrates General Zhao’s lofty national integrity and patriotic spirit in sacrificing his life for the country.

The Heze Calligraphy and Painting Academy has been recognized as a municipal-level “Civilized Unit,” “Civilized Service Window Unit,” “Provincial Health Advanced Unit,” “Shandong Provincial Advanced Collective for Cultural Outreach,” and “Regional Patriotic Education Base.” In 1992, it was included in the “China Tourism Information Database” by the National Tourism Administration. In 1997, it was featured in the “Grand View of China’s Famous Scenic Spots and Tourist Attractions,” compiled by the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics, the China Tourism Association, the China Association of Landscape Architects, and the Chinese Museums Association, and listed among the top 500 famous scenic spots and attractions in China. In 2000, the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles established the “Federation of Literary and Art Circles Artists’ Life and Creation Base” at the Heze Calligraphy and Painting Academy.

The Heze Stele Corridor, located within the Heze Calligraphy and Painting Academy, was completed in two phases in 1985 and 1995. Stretching nearly 500 meters in length and featuring over 400 stone tablets, it is currently the longest stele corridor in China. The corridor mainly showcases poems and artworks praising the national flower, the peony, through dynasties. It includes handwriting from historical figures and great leaders, as well as works by modern masters such as Shu Tong, Qi Gong, Cai Qijiao, Huang Miaozi, Wang Gegui, Tang Yun, Shen Peng, Liu Bingshen, Wu Zhongqi, and Sha Menghai. There are also engraved paintings depicting notable historical figures from Heze and precious varieties of peonies. With its rich and diverse artistic styles and forms, the corridor presents a stunning landscape that gathers the works of contemporary calligraphers and integrates peony culture, attracting tens of thousands of tourists each year.

Address: Shuiwa Street, Mudan District, Heze City

Type: Art Gallery

Recommended Visiting Time: 1 hour

Ticket: 10 RMB

Source: History and Chronicles Office of Mudan District, Heze City