Activity Overview
Four students from Beijing No. 2 Middle School International Division formed an independent research team to conduct an in-depth investigation of Tibetan culture and the Rebkong Thangka commercial ecosystem in Qinghai. Without adult supervision, the team systematically visited:
- Three core centers of Qinghai’s Tibetan Buddhist culture: Kumbum Monastery (Ta’er Si), Rongwo Monastery (Longwu Si), and Wutun Lower Monastery (Wutun Xia Si)
- Two major museum archives: Qinghai Tibetan Culture Museum and Rebkong Art & Culture Museum
- Provincial-level intangible cultural heritage workshop: The art academy founded by Provincial Master of Fine Arts Xawu Gyatso, featuring in-depth interviews with Master Xawu Gyatso and his family.
Key Research Findings
- Revitalization of the Traditional Master-Apprentice System
Documents how the “Master-to-Independent-Artist” training model sustains Rebkong art heritage, highlighting women painters’ ascending role in modern markets. - Resilient Market Position of Hand-Painted Thangkas
Challenged assumptions: Demonstrated through client analysis, policy support, and artistic value validation that printed Thangkas have not disrupted the high-end hand-painted market. - Demonstration of Youth Autonomy & Initiative
Navigated unexpected challenges—including hotel sanitation crises, member illness, interview coordination conflicts, and filming difficulties—through independent decision-making, achieving 95% planned execution.
Coming Soon
Documentary: “Snowy Canvas: Field Study of Tibetan Buddhist Culture and Commercial Investigation of Rebkong Thangka Art in Qinghai”
Project Deliverables
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Art & Culture
