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)
