Precious artworks are more than just imitations

Over the years, Gao has replicated more than 10,000 murals, many of which have been collected by museums nationwide. In 2015, he won the top prize in a national Tang tomb mural replication competition.

According to Wang Jianqi, a researcher at the Shaanxi History Museum specializing in Tang murals, the work Gao submitted to enter the competition, called Painting of Horse Tribute, was not only painted well but also showed Gao's understanding of the connotations of the mural.

"Gao has a rich accumulation of and an incredible passion for mural replicating. His murals are so vivid that they show us the splendor of the Tang Dynasty," says Wang.

Gao says the mural depicts two people bearing distinct features and attire of northern ethnic groups leading a white horse. The horse also displays unique traits typical of horses from Xiyu, or the Western Regions, which refers to today's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and part of Central Asia.

"It's a scene of people from different ethnic groups sending the horse as a gift to the Tang rulers. The horse leans its head against a person and its raised hoof suggests a readiness to follow him, while its open mouth conveys an emotional communication with the man, as if being reluctant to leave him," says Gao.

"The man embraces the horse's neck and lightly holds the reins, seeming to have mixed feelings about parting with the horse. The other man, possibly the coachman, furrows his brows and glares, his eyes revealing toughness and a hint of resignation," he adds.

The Tang Dynasty is known as a prosperous era in Chinese history. During the reign of Li Shimin, he adopted inclusive policies toward ethnic groups from afar and was highly esteemed by them. Consequently, he often received gifts. The mural is a reflection of the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty and the good relationship between the central rulers and the ethnic groups, says Gao.

He mentions the images of figures in murals can exert influence on modern life. For example, people design costumes with elements from them, which are gaining increasing popularity. Moreover, TV series and films mirror the attire of these figures while using the Tang era as a background setting.

Born in an amateur artists' family in Liquan in 1969, Gao has held a strong interest in painting since childhood. He graduated from Shaanxi Normal University as a fine arts major and learned from painters Liu Wenxi and Chen Guangjian, who helped Gao lay a solid foundation in line drawing.

After graduating in 1990, he had to make a choice about where to work — Zhaoling Museum or the traffic authorities in Liquan. Without hesitation, he selected the museum to work in mural painting.

Gao recalls when he was a primary student on a school trip to the museum, he was so attracted by a replicated mural that he started sketching it immediately. Seeing his enthusiasm, his fine arts teacher Liu Suya encouraged him to hone his painting skills so that he could pursue a career at the museum doing what he loved for a lifetime.

"Luckily, her words proved prophetic. The greatest joy in life is pursuing something you are passionate about and can make a livelihood from," says Gao.