On July 9, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., the opening ceremony for the "Training of Creative Talent for Ethnic Mural Painting in the Western Region" was held in the library conference room at the Chenggong campus of Yunnan Arts University (YNAU). This 2024 arts talent training program is funded by the public welfare fund from the lottery. Specifically, it was funded by the Chinese Welfare Lottery, the China Sports Lottery and the China National Arts Fund. It is hosted by YNAU, with academic support from the Mural Art Committee of the China Artists Association.

Ouyang Junhu, deputy secretary of the CPC Committee of and president of YNAU, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a welcome speech. The opening ceremony was graced by the presence of distinguished guests, including Lin Mao, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA); Sun Jingbo, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at CAFA; Wang Yingsheng, Dean of the School of Restoration at CAFA and Chairman of the Mural Art Committee of the China Artists Association; and Xu Changhai, Deputy Director of the Yunnan Leadership Group Management Office of the China National Arts Fund, who is also a supervisory expert of the China National Arts Fund. Other notable attendees included Dai Jie, Vice Chairman of the Yunnan Artists Association and Dean of the School of Fine Arts at Yunnan Normal University; Zhao Fang, Dean of the Fine Arts Academy at Yuxi Normal University; Guo Hao, Deputy Director of the Comic Art Committee of the China Artists Association and Professor at YNAU; Guo Wei, Vice Chairman of the Yunnan Artists Association; Dong Zhuo, Associate Professor at the School of Restoration of CAFA; and Huang Xiaojing and Luo Jing from the Yunnan Leadership Group Management Office of the China National Arts Fund. Faculty members of the Fine Arts School at YNAU, project team members, and all trainees attended the opening ceremony.

On behalf of YNAU, President Ouyang Junhu extended a warm welcome to all the leaders, guests and trainees, and expressed his heartfelt thanks to the China National Arts Fund, CAFA and Mural Art Committee of the China Artists Association for their long-term support and help. He stated that YNAU has always been committed to enhancing art education and creative standards. The university has accumulated rich experience and achieved significant results in applying for and implementing China National Arts Fund projects. He added that the university will take this talent training project in Yunnan as an opportunity to deepen the cultivation of mural artists focusing on ethnic themes. They will continue to promote the vigorous development of mural teaching and creation, enhance the overall strength of high-level mural talent in western regions, and provide new practical cases and theoretical support for the further development of fine arts in Western China.

In his speech, President Lin Mao of CAFA fondly recalled the deep connection between Yunnan and the development of modern Chinese murals, emphasizing the profound significance of the ethnic-themed mural creation talent training program for western regions in the cultural prosperity and development of the new era. He stated that the CAFA would fully support this training and hoped that through the implementation of the project, they could contribute to the inheritance and innovation of mural art. He also expressed high expectations for the trainees, looking forward to their creation of excellent mural works with characteristics of the times.

Professor Sun Jingbo from CAFA expressed firm support for the project in his speech. He reviewed the important influence of Yunnan's rich ethnic cultural resources on artistic creation and encouraged trainees to deeply explore creative resources to produce mural works with unique charm. He also highly praised the efforts made by YNAU in implementing the project.

Professor Wang Yingsheng from CAFA emphasized the importance of inheritance and innovation in mural creation. He pointed out that this training would focus on cultivating trainees' innovative thinking and practical abilities, nurturing key professionals for the prosperity and development of murals. He also expressed appreciation for YNAU's exploration and achievements in mural teaching.

Xu Changhai, Deputy Director of the Yunnan Leadership Group Management Office of the China National Arts Fund, congratulated the successful launch of the project and put forward specific requirements. He emphasized that the project should adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as guidance, thoroughly implement the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, and serve the people and socialism through art and literature. At the same time, he also set strict requirements for the supervision and management of the project implementation process to ensure that the training tasks are completed on time and with high quality.

Ye Qian, a teacher from the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, spoke as the representative of the trainees. She expressed her gratitude to YNAU and the China National Arts Fund and shared her expectations for participating in the training. She hoped to engage in in-depth exchanges and learning with fellow trainees and experts during the program, and together explore new frontiers in mural art.

The "Training of Creative Talent for Ethnic Mural Painting in the Western Region" leverages the rich cultural heritage and diverse ethnic art resources of Western China, incorporating ethnic culture into the training of mural creation talents. By establishing an art education exchange platform that promotes resource sharing and collaborative innovation, the program integrates the strengths of mural creation and teaching nationwide. It effectively promotes regional ethnic culture, revitalizes traditional culture, and advances the development of China's mural art. We must harness the power of murals as a public cultural service, leveraging their value to boost tourism and creative industries. In doing so, we can foster cultural identity and strengthen our confidence in our cultural heritage. The project will last for 45 days from June 2024 to June 2025, and an achievement exhibition is expected to be held in March 2025.