History of the development of education in Chinese painting among China’s ethnic minorities

Abstract

In China’s contemporary multiethnic policy, education in traditional Chinese painting guohua among ethnic minorities plays a key role in cultural integration and the preservation of diversity. The study focuses on the evolution of this process from the 1980s to the present, analyzing the transition from unified approaches to models that take local traditions into account. The relevance of the topic is determined by the need to balance national identity and cultural pluralism in the context of globalization. The aim of the work is to identify the dynamics of educational policies, their influence on the formation of a hybrid cultural identity, and their effectiveness in regions with a high concentration of minorities such as Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Yunnan. To achieve this goal, a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach combining historical-comparative, statistical, and sociocultural methods was applied. Official documents of the Ministry of Education of the PRC, regional regulatory acts, curricula, and teaching manuals for national schools were analyzed. The statistical analysis included the study of yearbooks and reports on the number of art schools, student enrollment, funding, and graduate employment. Content analysis of academic publications helped to identify key discussions. Data processing was conducted using quantitative methods time series, correlations and qualitative methods hermeneutics, discourse analysis for interpretation in a sociocultural context. The results demonstrate significant growth in educational infrastructure from 2000 to 2020, the number of specialized classes increased on average by 8-9 times across regions, with the highest growth rate in Yunnan from 31.7 to 312.5. Funding rose by 89,6% from 2015 to 2021, with a focus on supporting teachers and scholarships. The level of proficiency in guohua techniques among minority students is lower than that of Han students a gap of 6-9 points but varies by ethnicity Tibetans lead in xieyi 89.2 points, Miao in gongbi 86.4. Graduate employment increased from 35,5% in 2010 to 61,15% in 2020, with the highest rate among the Zhuang 68,7%. The discussion of results emphasizes the shift from copying Han models to synthesizing with local traditions, which contributes to cultural enrichment. Challenges identified include regional disparities and barriers to adaptation. This confirms the effectiveness of state policy in integration but calls for further individualization of programs to stimulate creativity and economic returns. The study contributes to understanding the mechanisms of cultural interaction in multiethnic societies and offers recommendations for the sustainable development of art education.