Artists showcase Grand Canal-inspired works in Beijing

During the seminar, six artists from China, Indonesia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan shared how they borrowed inspiration from the canal that has flowed for more than a millennium.

"When I saw the canal in Yangzhou that was dug in the 7th century with my own eyes, I was very impressed by the Chinese government which has preserved its historical heritage so well," said Indonesian painter Dr HC MAS Hedi Suryatna.

Suryatna's trip to Jiangsu inspired him to create two paintings—one of the Wuting Bridge that stretches across the Slender West Lake and the other of a ferryman crossing a river in an idyllic water town—in a Fauvist style featuring bold colors and textured brushwork.