On April 27, 17 accomplished Chinese painters set out to revisit the Silk Road, a vital ancient trade route connecting the East and West, using their paintbrushes to uncover long-forgotten scenes dotting the vast and ancient road. Established during the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-A.D. 220), the Silk Road stretches from west China as far as the Mediterranean Sea.

This is the second group of artists embarking on the foreign portion of Painting the Silk Road, a large-scale cultural exchange activity organized by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Shaanxi Provincial Government, China Artists Association and Xi'an Tang West Market Culture Industry Investment Co. Ltd.

During the 18-day art trip, the painters will travel to Turkey, Kazakhstan, Italy and Greece—major sites along the ancient trade route, visiting around 30 major historical sites and conducting artistic creation.

Qiu Ruimin, Dean of College of Fine Arts of Shanghai University, a member of the second group, said that Painting the Silk Road was a special art activity, as it is an art trip with a theme—presenting the Silk Road through paintings, which will inspire artists to express their creativity from different perspectives.

"The long history and splendid artworks of countries we will visit have influenced world artists. They are still glamorous, waiting for today's artists to further explore," said Qiu.

With an aim to rediscover the ancient Silk Road through contemporary artists' eyes, Painting the Silk Road was launched on November 15, 2010, in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

The trip was divided into a domestic and foreign part. In November last year, 50 Chinese painters headed west from Xi'an, passing through cities in the middle part of the Silk Road, including Urumqi, Turpan, Kuerle and Hotan in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as well as Dunhuang in Gansu Province. The first group of artists completed the foreign leg of the journey on January 28, 2011.

"The art trip of Chinese painters along the Silk Road will further advance the exchange and communication between Chinese and Western civilizations, help to spread Chinese culture to the rest of the world and contribute to the joint application for world heritage status of the Silk Road," said Wang Yong, Vice President of Xi'an Tang West Market Culture Industry Investment and deputy leader of the foreign portion of the trip, at the launching ceremony of the art tour in Beijing.