On September 21st, Dali University of  the third research on ethnic art in western Yunnan and academic seminar on the cultivation of rural craftsmen on the 2024 Silk Road in Dali/construction of artist's second residence  opened. Experts and scholars from more than 10 units, including Peking University and Jiangsu Phoenix Publishing Media Co., Ltd., gathered at Dali University to conduct academic exchanges and discussions on the research of ethnic art in western Yunnan, the cultivation of rural craftsmen/construction of artists' second residence on the Silk Road in Dali, and the compilation of an image catalog of ethnic art in western Yunnan. At the opening ceremony, He Zhikui ，Vice President  of Dali University ，and Xu Hai ，Party Secretary and Editor in Chief  of Jiangsu Phoenix Publishing Media Co., Ltd. delivered speeches respectively.

He Zhikui introduced the educational situation of Dali University. He Zhikui stated that in recent years, the School of Arts at Dali University has conducted a series of research on topics related to the protection and inheritance of ethnic art and culture in western Yunnan, and has achieved a series of remarkable results. The cooperation between Dali University and Jiangsu Phoenix Publishing Media Co., Ltd. will provide a broader platform for interdisciplinary research and inject new vitality into the dissemination and technological development of ethnic art in western Yunnan. I hope to better present the treasures of ethnic art in western Yunnan to the world through joint efforts, and make new and greater contributions to promoting cultural exchange and ethnic unity.

Xu Hai introduced the relevant situation of Phoenix Publishing Media Group and affirmed the fruitful achievements of Dali University's long-term commitment to the research of ethnic minority culture and art in western Yunnan. He hopes to better explore the cultural, artistic, and medical technological achievements of ethnic minorities in the western Yunnan region through cooperation between both parties. Through persified means such as publishing and media, academic research results can be transformed into cultural products that the public can access and perceive, in order to enhance national cultural confidence, expand national cultural influence, improve the overall health literacy level of the people, and contribute to the research of ethnic arts and medical technology.

During the opening ceremony, Jiangsu Phoenix Publishing Media Co., Ltd. also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Dali University and held a ceremony of book donation. Jiangsu Phoenix Publishing Group will donate books to the library of Dali University and set up a "Phoenix bookshelf". The person in charge of the library of Dali University will receive the first batch of donated books and give back a collection certificate to Phoenix Publishing Group.

After the opening ceremony, Ding Ning, a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Arts, Peking University, Xu Xiaoming, director of the  Intangible Cultural Heritage Center  in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region  and editor in chief of "Ethnic Art", Xu Hai, secretary of the Party Committee and editor in chief of Jiangsu Phoenix Publishing Media Co., Ltd., Shen Bo, former director of the library at Yunnan college of Arts，Wang Xuefeng, Mao Jianbo, Zhao Quansheng, Shi Zenghong, Fang Lisong, Wang Linjun, Zhang Tao, and Weng Xiaoyou, directors of the Folk Art Department  at the National Art Museum of China and doctoral supervisors, were invited to give keynote speeches at the exchange stage of the Academic Seminar  Ethnic Art in Western Yunnan. Officials from relevant departments of Dali Prefecture and Dali University, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's training program about intangible cultural heritage, attended the opening ceremony.

The second half of the seminar was held at Zhonghe International Art Village and Zhonghe Academy, where in-depth discussions were held on two topics: "Cultivation of Rural Craftsmen on the Silk Road in Dali" and "Construction of Artist's Second Residence". Leaders from the Propaganda Department of the Dali Prefecture Committee of the Communist Party of China, Zhou Jianpeng, President of the western Yunnan Ethnic Art Research Institute, Du Wu, President of the Zhonghe Academy, and other invited representatives delivered keynote speeches.

Shi Zenghong, Director of the Cultural Reform Office of the Propaganda Department of Dali Prefecture, provided a detailed list of five modes of second residence for artists in Dali Prefecture. Zhao Quansheng, Dean of the School of Arts at Dali University, reviewed how the School of Arts at Dali University has gradually implemented the model of "universities supporting rural revitalization" with the support of the university over the past four years. Yang Canwei, editor of Art magazine, gave a special presentation on a series of rural construction cases, emphasizing the important role of cultivating rural craftsmen in the inheritance of local culture, and looking forward to the impact of the construction of artists' second residence on promoting local cultural development. He also put forward profound insights into the current situation and future development of ethnic art in western Yunnan.

Afterwards, the discussion focused on "Field Investigation and Research of Ethnic Art Images Chronicle in Western Yunnan". Experts and scholars such as Fang Lisong, Zhi Yingqi, Pan Tianbo, Mao Jianbo, Wang Xuefeng, Zhang Tao, Yang Canwei, Zhang Yu, Liu Qi, Bao Xuelei, Li Liping, and Liu Min, the chief editors of each volume of "Ethnic Art Images Chronicle in Western Yunnan", shared their views and research plans.

During the seminar, the western Yunnan Ethnic Art Research Institute also held the appointment ceremony for the third batch of western Yunnan Ethnic Art research consultants and researchers. A group of scholars with profound expertise in the field of ethnic art, such as Ding Ning, Xu Hai, Shen Bo, Wang Xuefeng, and Yang Canwei, have been hired as consultants or researchers. Their joining will bring new perspectives and impetus to the research of ethnic art in western Yunnan.

This seminar has received strong support from relevant departments such as the Propaganda Department of the Communist Party of China Dali Prefecture Committee, Dali Prefecture Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and Dali Prefecture Culture and Tourism Bureau. At the same time, the strategic cooperation agreement signed between Dali University and Jiangsu Phoenix Publishing Media Co., Ltd. indicates that the dissemination and development of ethnic art in western Yunnan will enter a new stage. Everyone agrees that the protection, inheritance, and development of ethnic art in western Yunnan is a long-term and arduous task that requires joint efforts and unremitting exploration from all sectors of society.

Visit the Ethnic Art Museum of Dali University

Visit the Ethnic Art Museum of Dali University

Entering the second unit of the seminar, a research team consisting of 17 scholars including Pan Tianbo, Mao Jianbo, Zhi Yingqi, and Wang Xuefeng conducted a five-day academic expedition to Lijiang, Lugu Lake, and other places. They went deep into the settlements of ethnic minorities such as Naxi and Mosuo, and conducted detailed field investigations on local cultural expressions such as art, craftsmanship, and architecture.

The research team comprehensively understood the historical origins, development trends, and current situation of ethnic art in western Yunnan through various methods such as on-site visits, literature research, and expert interviews. The results of these field investigations will provide valuable materials and references for the compilation of the "Yunnan Western Ethnic Art Image Chronicle".