CATEGORIES: Exhibition

Pure View®

Xiangxi · Liangdeng Miao Village

After a full day and night of nonstop, fast-paced setup work with barely a moment to rest, the volunteers have finally completed all the preparations for this Pure View® Liangdeng Miao VillageArt & Charity Exhibition.

Rising at dawn and working late into the night — Teacher Li Jie personally joined the setup efforts.

By the time all the setup work was finished, it was already past midnight—more than 12 o’clock—having packed three days’ worth of effort into a single one.

Teacher Li kept marveling that the children could paint better than he could.

After each edition, the Pure View®charity project holds an exhibition in an art museum or museum.

It is far more than just an art exhibition; it is also a documentary exhibition. Most importantly, it brings children—who have never left their villages—and their works into an art museum, giving them a chance to feel proud of themselves.
The one-on-one dialogues leading to paired paintings, photographs of their youthful faces, and their heartfelt, tear‑bringing reflections on the entire activity come together to form a complete artwork.

The Pure View® Liangdeng Miao VillageArt & Charity Exhibition​ had no grand opening ceremony, banners, slogans, or leader speeches. Teacher Li Jie has never been fond of superficial, formalistic gestures. She felt the event’s schedule was tight, and wanted to use this “opening” to give everyone one final lesson:

  1. Through each Pure View®, children can improve their abilities and adaptability: not to be fragile flowers in a greenhouse, but to become strong trees that sink their roots deep into the soil and stretch their leaves boldly toward the sun under the open sky. Harsh environments, outdoor survival, unexpected situations, overcoming personal fears, self-reliance, and the capacity to help others — these are the qualities they will gain.
  2. The ability to notice details in the world around them and discover beauty. She hopes that wherever the children go in the future, when they recall the plants and trees of their childhood hometown, they will feel moved to return and contribute, so that fewer and fewer children are left behind.
  3. Always strive to keep the innocence, curiosity, and sincerity of childhood.
  4. The theme of this last class: My Dream.

The children sat in a circle, their eyes shining unusually bright as they listened. Who knows whether this simple lesson might change someone’s life?

Teacher Li also shared what she had witnessed over years of teaching in rural areas: changes in the countryside, shifts in the rural education system, transformations in the children’s living conditions, and the difficulties and doubts encountered while carrying out public welfare projects firsthand. Yet, seeing the children’s reflections, seeing how deeply they were touched and helped, we are willing to persevere — no matter how hard it gets or how many problems arise.

Teacher Li presented the Pure View® Liangdeng Miao VillageCaring Public Welfare Certificates to volunteers both young and old.

Wu Guozhuang, the villager who had been helping us all along, also received his Caring Public Welfare Certificate— he spoke emotionally at length about his feelings, and even sang a Miao folk song for us.

Wu Guozhuang, a villager from Liangdeng, received his Caring Public Welfare Certificate.

Taxi driver Master Tian, who had been in charge of our travel arrangements throughout the trip, sent these heartfelt words after hearing Wu Guozhuang talk about Pure View.

Teacher Li presented the Pure View® Liangdeng Miao VillageExhibition Participation Certificates to the village children — the first time they had ever taken part in an exhibition.

Everyone got their own certificate!

Professor Zhu Jianxiang established the Xiangxi Printmaking Institute in his hometown. He also shared with the children the story of how his love for painting led him to become an artist and to found the printmaking institute. His deep affection for his hometown, his contributions, and his pursuit of art moved every audience member present.

He also expressed his hopes for the children of Pure View®:

“Every person is an individual, and every individual life has a place where it can shine and warm the world. Whether city children or village children, you have all come to know a different world. Pure View·Encounteris a bridge that links the paths into each other’s worlds. Art values inclusion, confidence and expression. I hope that through this activity you will learn to see all things in the world with greater equality and universal love, and that in the future you will do your best to give back to society and to your own hometown. Of course, we do not have to become professional artists, but we must have a pair of eyes that can discover beauty. However rich or less rich you may become, in the eyes of art, all are equal.”

Huang Shengwei, Chairman of the Luxi County Artists Association, made a special trip to attend the opening ceremony, offering his blessings and best wishes.

Volunteer Chen Lihan has participated in Pure View® three times in a row.

Li Letian, one of the founders of Pure View®, also shared his thoughts with everyone. He hopes that one day he will have the means to bring running water to every household in Liangdeng Village, and to improve that winding mountain road up the hill with its 270-degree turns. Back in 2017, during Pure View® Dagaji, what he had hoped to achieve for Dagaji was to ensure every home had a flush toilet.

Wu Fan, from Liangdeng Village, shared his thoughts and takeaways on behalf of the village children.

Teacher Huang Jincao also shared openly about the changes she had observed and felt since her first time bringing her child to participate in Pure View·Encounter®six years ago, and now returning to join again:

“You should thank each other, because you are all opening up your little worlds to one another. Seeing each other’s worlds leads you to look again at your own original little world, and to discover things you never noticed before — and that is a process of mutual help. We are all the ones being helped.”

Looking back on these days, we’ve all faced no small share of challenges — we’ve sweated and smiled together, immersed ourselves in the truest face of Liangdeng Mountain Village, and forged deep bonds of friendship along the way —
Climbing over walls, crossing ancient woods, trekking across fields; sketching in the artists’ courtyard, bearing witness to the most unadorned love for one’s homeland.
Looking back on these days, we’ve all faced no small share of challenges — we’ve sweated and smiled together, immersed ourselves in the truest face of Liangdeng Mountain Village, and forged deep bonds of friendship along the way —
Climbing over walls, crossing ancient woods, trekking across fields; sketching in the artists’ courtyard, bearing witness to the most unadorned love for one’s homeland.
Side Story – Volunteer Daily Life:​ Water shortages, outdoor toilets, wilderness, century-old houses — all simply the reality of everyday life.

Every step was worthwhile, and every step was taken with firm resolve.

The Pure View® Liangdeng Miao VillageArt & Charity Exhibition opens successfully​
A group photo of the Liangdeng children and volunteers at the exhibition venue

August 9 — Our Last Group Lunch Together

Visitors coming to see the exhibition

Once again, it was time to say goodbye — the children couldn’t hold back their tears. These days of sharing meals and traveling together had connected the children of Liangdeng Village with children from around the world. We exchanged contact information with one another.

“Dreams begin at the start, but meaning begins only when we leave.”​
May we all have the capacity to love ourselves, and the surplus strength to love others.

See you next year

The feelings of the volunteers and the children of Liangdeng… Each piece comes straight from the heart.