The roots of Chinese painting can be traced back to paintings of Neolithic pottery, such as figures of fish, frogs, deer, birds, flowers, tree leaves and dances, 6,000-7,000 years old.

The earliest Chinese characters were pictographs.  Since similar tools and lines were used for the earliest painting and writing, painting is said to have the same origin as calligraphy.  Thus, Chinese painting has an outstanding characteristic, that is to say, poetry or calligraphy are inscribed on paintings sot hat the three are integrated, giving people a keener enjoyment of beauty.

Many ancient paintings were executed on walls or decorative screens.  Today, murals can be seen in the tombs of the Han, Tang, and other dynasties.  Gu Kaizhi, a famous painter of the Jin Dynasty, was good a presenting historical themes.  His painting The Nymph of the Luo River portrayed poet Cao Zhi''''s meeting with the goddess.  The Tang and Song Dynasties were the golden age of Chinese painting.  The Tang painter Wu Daozi, called the "Sage Painter," was an expert at figure and landscape painting.