TAIPEI, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Taipei leg of the 16th Cross-Strait Children's Fine Art Exhibition, the exhibition tour's concluding stop, opened Friday at the Taiwan Arts Education Center, showcasing nearly 300 paintings by children from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, as well as Malaysia.
With the theme "Life in Multitudes," this year's exhibition has toured Fuzhou, Sanming and Xiamen in eastern Fujian Province, as well as Beijing and Kaohsiung, since late May before arriving in Taipei.
The displayed works have been selected from more than 20,000 submissions from children across regions on topics including observations of the natural environment, reflections on human society, and imaginations of the future world.
In addition to children's artworks, the exhibition also features special displays of works by Taiwan artist Chiang I-han and mainland artist Xie Lifang related to the theme of life.
According to the Xiamen-based Skyline Art Institute, which curated the exhibition, this section is designed to highlight how adults and children meet one another in their shared exploration of the world through art.
"This is also a dialogue between artists of our times and the potential artists of the future," said Xu Tianqing, a representative of the institute.
Huang Chao-sung, chairman of the Chinese Cultural and Creative Development Association in Taiwan, said that over the past decade, the exhibition had encouraged children to express their observations of life through annually changing themes.
This, Huang added, helps deepen mutual understanding among young people across the Taiwan Strait by allowing them to learn about each other's lives.
"These subtle, early-stage understandings are gradually taking root, laying a foundation for broader exchanges in the future," he said.
The Taipei exhibition will run through Dec. 3. The call for submissions for next year's edition has already begun, with the theme set as the Chinese character "Xin," which carries multiple meanings, including letter, trust and faith.
"We believe it is a fascinating character, and we hope children can explore its many meanings through paintings," Xu said. ■
