A new college for professional Chinese painting will be opened in July in Guilin City, one of China's most famous scenic destinations in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

A Guangxi Art College source said that the new college will be the first such specialized Chinese painting school in China and will be a branch of Guangxi Art College, which has been operating more than 60 years.

The new college will enroll 50 students with artistic potential who will also have passed the annual national university entrance exams, said Huang Gesheng, a well-known Chinese painter and head of Guangxi Art College.

Huang pledged that more courses featuring Chinese literature, including classical poems, calligraphy, seal cutting, and fine arts theory will be offered at the new college, with the purpose of promoting understanding of China's traditional culture.

(People's Daily March 5, 2002)