The Second "Beauty of Tibet Painting Contest - 'My Chinese Dream'” art contest officially kicked off in Beijing last week, which was organized by Tibet.cn, guided by Chinese Artists Association and supported by the Federation of Literary and Art Circles of Tibet Autonomous Region.

The mission of the contest is to collect Tibet-themed works from both professional artists and art lovers.

According to Tibet.cn’s spokesperson, Tibetan themes and artistic elements have become an important part of Chinese contemporary art. The contest emphasizes harmony and beauty. Harmony is not only the essence of traditional Chinese culture, but also the goal of Tibet's economic and social development. Beauty means something that arouses pleasant feelings. The two concepts serve as a nice summary of the significance of Tibet's natural and cultural landscape as well as our commitment to building a harmonious Tibet.

Through the paintings, the contest seeks to reveal the Chinese dreams cherished by those in the professional and amateur art community. In addition, the organizers hope to show off Tibet's natural and cultural beauty, its local history, its cultural and artistic heritage and its development, changes and the life of its people. The contest aims to promote the spread of Tibetan culture, the integration of the art styles of different ethnic groups in China and the prosperity of Tibetan culture and arts in a new era.

The contest will last for three months, and awards will be handed out at five different levels of achievement: gold, silver, bronze, high-quality works and selected works. Winning paintings will go on exhibition at the National Theatre between September 26 and October 10, which will be open to the public for free. Some exhibited works will even join the contest’s overseas exhibition tours.

The categories for contest entries include Chinese painting, oil painting, watercolor, gouache paintings, prints, sketch drawings, cartoons, Thangka and other forms. The contest enteries should be based on the Tibet Autonomous Region’s political, economic and social development, natural scenery, folk customs, history and culture.