Chinese painting has a rich history as an enduring art form and is well known throughout the world. Traditionally, Chinese painting is done on rice paper or thin silk, using a variety of brushes, Chinese ink, and dye. Chinese painting covers a variety of subjects: portrait, landscape, flowers, birds, animals, and insects. Traditional Chinese painting is known as “guo hua.” Like calligraphy, the painting is done using a brush dipped in black or colored ink, usually on paper or silk. The finished work can be mounted on scrolls and hung. Traditional painting has also been done on walls, porcelain, and lacquer ware. From Han (202 BCE) to Tang (618-906 CE) Dynasties, artists painted many detailed, elaborate portraits of the royal court. Some of the ancient works depicting court lives of emperors, their ladies, and imperial horses have been preserved in tombs and burial sites. Tang Dynasty also saw the beginning of landscape paintings, often referred to as Shanshui (“mountain water”) paintings. These are less precise and allowed for individual freedom in interpreting the subjects (www.chinahighlights. com/travelguide/culture/painting.htm).