An exhibition titled “Folks of Yangpo Village” opened at Beihang Art Gallery on May 9, displaying paintings of Dr. Gong Haoqin from the School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation about the poverty alleviation work in Zhongyang County, the city of Lyuliang, Shanxi Province. It was hosted by the Leading Group for Poverty Alleviation of Beihang University and organized by the School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation.
At the opening ceremony
At the opening ceremony
The opening ceremony was attended by more than 50 people, including Wang Yunpeng, Vice President of Beihang University, members of the Leading Group for Poverty Alleviation, representatives of caregivers coming from the Lyuliang Mountain area and working at Beihang, as well as painters and artists in the field of media arts.
Wang Yunpeng addressed the audience at the opening ceremony
In his address, Mr. Wang congratulated Dr. Gong on the success of the exhibition and expressed his gratitude for those people from all walks of life who have been paying attention to and supporting the development and the poverty alleviation work of Beihang University. According to him, the Party Committee of Beihang University has been following the exposition of poverty alleviation by General Secretary Xi Jinping and leading the whole university to alleviate the poverty at Zhongyang County by making use of its advantages in education, research, talents and alumni and with the same vigor it has for the cause of aeronautics and astronautics.
He listed a series of numbers to visualize the work. Over a period of more than three years, Beihang leaders have visited Zhongyang County 13 times and the total number of leader visitors is 17. Four of the visits were attended by Beihang President and Secretary of the Party Committee. Every year more than 1,000 personnel exchanges take place between Beihang and Zhongyang County and the university provides training for over 1,500 cadres of the Party Committee and the local government as well as professionals of Zhongyang County. Located on the campus of Beihang, the Lyuliang Mountain Caregiving Service Center in Beijing has directly offered jobs of housekeeping and caregiving at Beihang and other communities nearby to 400 people from impoverished families. In August 2018, Zhongyang County became one of the first counties that were lifted out of poverty among the 36 poverty-stricken counties in Shanxi Province.
Mr. Wang attributed the achievements to the great support and wide participation of Beihang faculty, students and alumni, and he considered Dr. Gong as a representative of the teachers taking part in and devoting themselves to the poverty alleviation cause.
After him, speeches were delivered respectively by Prof. Ding Xilun, Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Prof. Cai Jinsong, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and Curator of Beihang Art Gallery, Mr. Wang Bengong, a celebrated scholar and painter, Ms. Wang Sizhen, a representative of caregivers from Lyuliang Mountain area, and Dr. Gong.
Speeches were given by Prof. Ding Xilun, Prof. Cai Jinsong, Mr. Wang Bengong, Ms. Wang Sizhen and Dr. Gong
The exhibition has been visited by Cao Shumin, Secretary of the Party Committee of Beihang University, as well as the faculty and staff from all branches of the university. It has received enthusiastic response from the visitors.
Dr. Gong was explaining the paintings to the visitors
A caregiver from Lyuliang Mountain area was explaining the paintings to the visitors
A caregiver from Lyuliang Mountain area was explaining the paintings to the visitors
At the exhibition
At the exhibition
At the exhibition
A group photo of the guests at the opening ceremony
Since last year, Dr. Gong has led his students to collect material for painting in Zhongyang County several times. Half a year was spent on creating the 77 oil paintings and sketches exhibited this time. These works are inspired by the real stories of the poverty alleviation work in Zhongyang County and created with the deep affection for the people there. They reflect not only the local customs of Lyuliang, an old revolutionary base area, but also the genuine efforts made by Beihangers to advance the poverty alleviation cause.
Reported and edited by Song Chao
Reviewed by Li Jianwei
Translated by Li Mingzhu
