XIEG Holds 56th Salon for Scientific Exchange

The Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with the local community, successfully held the 56th Salon for Scientific Exchange (SSE) on April 24. The event attracted more than 40 participants, including foreign experts and international students from Belgium, Germany, Pakistan and Central Asia.

The event introduced the intangible cultural heritage of rock‑color painting with a hands‑on workshop. Rock‑color painting, a technique that uses finely ground natural minerals as pigments, is renowned for its dense, lasting hues and is often described as a “living fossil” that records the material culture of the Silk Road. Under the guidance of professional mentors, participants ground mineral pigments, mixed them with glue‑alum solution, and then applied the colors to canvases depicting Xinjiang’s iconic landscapes—the snow‑capped Tianshan Mountains, vast desert expanses and verdant oases.

“Working with the mineral pigments gave me a tangible sense of the geological layers that shape Xinjiang’s history,” said Dr. Abdul Waheed. “Merging geographic science with artistic expression adds warmth and humanity to scientific exchange.”

In addition to the artistic component, the local Community provided on‑site residence-permit extension and registration service for foreign experts and their families, which received unanimous praise from the international attendees.

The salon showcases the institute’s innovative “science + humanities” model, leveraging community resources to push the event beyond pure academic exchange—deepening cross‑cultural understanding while spotlighting the region’s unique natural heritage as a catalyst for interdisciplinary research.

Rock color painting at the event.

Residence-permit extension and registration service.

Contact

LONG Huaping

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography

E-mail: longhp@ms.xjb.ac.cn

Web: http://english.egi.cas.cn