Li Xiantao

The Eight Great Mountainsman was an outstanding master of Chinese painting during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties in China. His artistic philosophy integrated the essence of Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist cultures. His artistic style is profound, ethereal, subtle, and natural, perfectly embodying the lofty artistic realm pursued in Chinese painting. His artistic techniques reached the pinnacle of Chinese brush-and-ink mastery. For three hundred years, he has been hailed as a leader among his peers. Later masters—including Wu Changshuo, Qi Baishi, and Zhang Daqian—have all held him in the highest esteem, eagerly studying and emulating his work.
The Eight Great Mountains Man Memorial Hall was established in 1959 and covers an area of approximately 46 mu. It is affiliated with the Nanchang Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, and integrates popular education, promotion of traditional culture, cultural relic collection, academic research, exhibition displays, and cultural services into a single institution. The entire hall comprises the Qingyunpu Ancient Architectural Complex, the Authentic Works Gallery, the Art Research Center, and the Peng Youshan Art Museum. Surrounded by water on all sides, the complex resembles fish swimming beneath the brushstrokes of "Eight Great Mountains," seamlessly blending with Meihu Lake in a harmonious interplay of water and land. The Eight Great Mountains Man Memorial Hall is China's first memorial hall dedicated to an ancient painter; it is also a nationally designated key cultural relic protection site and a national first-class museum, serving as a crucial institution for the collection, research, exhibition, and promotion of the works of the Eight Great Mountains Man. Over the years, the Memorial Hall has been honored with titles such as Jiangxi Province Patriotic Education Base, Jiangxi Province Outstanding Social Science Popularization and Publicity Base, Jiangxi Province Primary and Secondary School Study-Travel Education Base, Jiangxi Province Civilized Unit, and the 11th China Overseas Chinese International Cultural Exchange Base. In recent years, several exhibitions organized by the Memorial Hall have received prestigious awards: "Looking Back at Tradition—A Special Exhibition Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China from the Palace Museum Collection" was recognized as a "Recommended Exhibition Promoting Socialist Core Values by the National Cultural Heritage Administration"; "Without a Trace of Chisel—Dialogue with Qi Baishi," featuring collections from the Beijing Painting Academy, won the "Provincial Museum (2020) Excellent Exhibition Award"; and "Peng Youshan and His Era—A Research Exhibition Commemorating the 110th Anniversary of Peng Youshan's Birth" was awarded the "Top Ten Provincial (2021-2022) Excellent Exhibition Awards." Moreover, the ink-and-watercolor painting scroll and the small portrait of Ge Shan, both part of the museum’s collection, have been designated as Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relics Treasures and included among the Top Ten Treasured Artifacts of Jiangxi Museums. The Memorial Hall has also launched social education initiatives such as the "Eight Great Mountains Man Aesthetic Education Program," "Celebrating Festivals at the Eight Great Mountains Man Memorial Hall," and the "Little Pinecone Volunteer Service Group," earning recognition as high-quality youth education programs in the first, second, and third batches of provincial museum programs.