On the morning of May 27, 2018, the "Sangye Pen Thangka Art Exhibition" hosted by the Western China Research and Development Promotion Association was grandly opened at the National Museum. Guests from all walks of life attended the opening ceremony.

      This exhibition features 56 exquisite works selected from the vast collection of Mr. Sangye Pen, symbolizing the unity of 56 ethnic groups as one family. Mr. Sangye Pen, currently serving as the executive dean of the Thangka Art Research Institute of the National Ethnic Painting Academy and a national first-level technician, has created a large number of exquisite and academically valuable Thangka works over decades of painting exploration. Mr. Sangye Pen combines Thangka painting techniques with modern Chinese painting and Western painting, carefully depicting and organically integrating various artistic styles. To further inherit excellent traditional culture and promote ethnic cultural exchanges, the "Sangye Pen Thangka Art Exhibition" themed "Inheriting Excellent Traditional Culture, Boosting the Chinese Dream of National Rejuvenation" is specially held. It is hoped that through holding such exhibitions, the exquisite skills of Mr. Sangye Pen's Thangka creation and the current situation of the inheritance and protection of Tibetan intangible cultural heritage can be showcased, allowing more people to understand and participate in the inheritance and protection of Tibetan Thangka.

      Thangka, after more than 1,300 years of development, is a unique form of painting art in Tibetan culture, featuring distinct ethnic characteristics, strong religious colors, and a unique artistic style. It depicts the sacred world of Buddha with bright colors and is known as the "encyclopedia" of the Tibetans. It has been listed in the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Thangka painting requires strict standards and extremely complex procedures, which must be followed according to the rituals in scriptures and the requirements of the master, including a complete set of craftsmanship procedures such as pre-painting rituals, canvas making, composition and drafting, coloring and dyeing, line drawing and finalization, gold and silver decoration, eye opening, sewing and mounting, and consecration. It takes a long time to make a thangka, ranging from half a year to over ten years. The development of thangka is closely related to Buddhism. When Buddhism was introduced to Tibet, the main production and lifestyle in Tibetan areas was nomadic, and fixed temples could not meet the needs of numerous migrating believers. Therefore, thangka, an art form in the form of scroll paintings, satisfied the needs of believers. Its painting materials are made from natural substances such as minerals and plants, which are pure and precious, while maintaining the beauty and durability of the painting's color.

      The ode to the holy relics of Buddhist magic treasures and the epic unfolding of the Chinese soul. Mr. Sangjieben's painting art has absorbed various external artistic elements, integrating them into his own artistic style, further nationalizing the distinctly local Regong art system. Famous painter Nyima Tsering commented, "Mr. Sangjieben has demonstrated a strong ethnic style and the dissemination power of new Thangka art. His classic artistic language has become a new aesthetic aspect for subsequent major Thangka painting schools."