It is well-known that ‘Guilin is the most scenic place under heaven, and Yangshuo’s scenery is the best in Guilin’. The beauty of Guilin and Yangshuo lies in the Lijiang River. The Lijiang River section that winds between Guilin and Yangshuo measures over 80 km. The landscape is decorated with connecting hills, startling cliffs, and silky clear water with impeccable reflections. The charm of the Lijiang River sustains regardless of time and season. The best is when the area is veiled by rain and mist, it becomes a master piece of ink and brush painting. The beauty of the Lijiang River also lies in its activities – osprey fishing, ducks and geese swimming, cattle grazing, farmers planting, add a touch of humanities to the picturesque scenery.

Affectionate landscape naturally breeds a group of excellent local artists and hence the establishment of the ‘Lijiang River School of Paintings’. Being inspired by the beautiful landscape and love of their home town, the artists of the Lijiang River School express the charming landscape of Guilin in unique techniques and styles. Traditional Chinese painting is the mainstay of the Lijiang River School of Paintings. Yet the artists sketch the actual scenery with artistic conception instead of pure ideology. The outcome is a typical southern pastoral style with a realistic, gentle and cultivated touch.

We choose 6 Guilin landscape painters’ works in this exhibition; they are He Shanling, Shen Lingxiang, Liao Linsen, Su Fei, Wu Zhaoli and Zhang Quanzhong. Painting the Lijiang River is an artist’s dream. Each artist use their brushes to express their feeling, their love and their passion for the scenery and life of Guilin.

「桂林山水甲天下，陽朔山水甲桂林」，桂林、陽朔山水之美，盡在灕江。從桂林至陽朔一段灕江，長80多公里，其間山巒叠抱，碧水縈回，青山浮水，倒影連綿，景色百變；適逢烟雨濛濛之際，山水交融的景緻，活像一幅幅千姿百態的潑墨水彩畫，無愧負百里畫廊的美譽。灕江之美，亦在人文生活，魚鷹捕魚，鴨鵝戲水，清江牧牛，田園野趣，為如畫的景緻增添了實在的感情。

甲天下的山水，自然孕育出一批生于斯、長于斯的優秀本土畫家，亦成就了「灕江畫派」。他們憑著自己對桂林山水的瞭解和熱愛，融合桂林自然風貌的特點進行創作，形成了獨具一格的表現手法和風格。灕江畫派山水以傳統中國畫為主體，用對景寫生的技法，具有典型的南方田園畫風的溫潤平和、細膩傳神。

這次畫展我們集中了6位桂林山水畫家的作品，這6位畫家分別是何善翎、申凌翔、廖林森、蘇飛、武朝利及張泉蹤。他們各自以自己的眼光去感受灕江景色、人文生活，以獨特的表現形式描繪桂林山水。