Paintings by Falun Gong Practitioners: “Beauty Coming from the West”

Traditional Chinese brush painting: “A Beauty Came from the West” by Ms. Chen Heli, 2004

The Prophecy of Pushing Back (or The Prophecy of Tui Bei) is one of the most famous prophecies in China. It was written during the period of Zhenguan (627-649 A.D.) under Emperor Taizong’s reign in the Great Tang Dynasty by the Head Astronomer Li Chunfeng and his master, Yuan Tiangang. Each prophecy was presented as a painting and each painting was accompanied by a poem, giving obscure hints about the prophecy. There are 60 sets of paintings and poems in The Prophecy of Pushing Back. Each set of painting and poem has accurately predicted major events in the history of China since the Tang Dynasty.

The 42nd poem in the book contains a line, “A beauty came from the west.” This painting was inspired by the poem.

The painting was done with small Chinese paint brushes that capture fine details and makes use of a colour palette of a gentle layer of blue and green over ink water colours, which is a relatively more traditional Chinese painting style. Its view is from high and afar, meaning it moves from the bottom to the top and from the outside to the inside. The painting was completed starting at the bottom and then moving to the top.

In the painting, a beautiful lady in Tang Dynasty attire is seen holding a pipa, a traditional Chinese string instrument. She has a white rabbit and a bow next to her feet. The rabbit symbolises the fact that Falun Dafa has been taught and spread by a holy person who was born in the Year of the Rabbit. The lady is seen holding a pipa, indicating that Falun Dafa has used only peaceful means to clarify the facts. The title “Beauty Coming from the West” has the surface meaning of a lady from the West clarifying the facts, but it represents Falun Dafa practitioners all over the world.