About a dozen Chinese painters have began working on a
206-meter-long oil painting, believed to be the longest in the
world, depicting the entire history of the Mongolian
people.?
The painting portrays a historical period of 206 years, from the
birth of Genghis Khan, who founded ancient Mongolia and whose
grandson Kublai Khan established the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), to
the downfall of the dynasty.
When the painting is completed, the artists will apply for a
listing in the Guinness Book of Records, said Wang Yanqing, a chief
designer of the painting.
The painting will be divided into three parts. The first
portrays the life of Genghis Khan. The second depicts the history
after the death of Genghis Khan and the founding of the Yuan
Dynasty. And the third shows the rise and fall of the Yuan
Dynasty.
The Mongolian Steppe was unified under Genghis Khan (1162-1227)
in 1206, when he became the Great Khan. In his later years
(1218-1223), Genghis Khan launched his first westward expedition,
during which his cavalry, using new fire-powder and weapons
obtained from China and West Liao, annihilated Khwarezm, conquered
Kankly and overran the Kipchak steppe and Russian plains.
Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis, unified China and founded the
Yuan Dynasty in 1271. The Yuan came to an end in 1368.?
(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2004)