Western and Eastern fine arts have the distant sources and long steams respectively. Although there were some exchanges in history, there was no extensive contact. Relative independence of traditional Chinese painting and the limitations on the development of painting materials and techniques that were decided by economic and cultural history delayed progress of painting. Western economic and cultural development has not been a great incentive to Chinese arts up until modern time. Now, It is historical necessity. Under the new pounding of western influences, traditional Chinese painting has been undergoing revolutionary experiences and substantive change, but as these influences take root and blossoms; they are becoming integrated with Chinese tradition. To develop new styles and get approval from Chinese culture still need practice and probe unceasingly.

Different distant sources and steams decided that western and eastern painting possess respective characteristics. Painting is crystallization of culture as a kind of ideology; both western and eastern painting have relative independence, especially traditional Chinese painting. The relative independence of traditional Chinese painting showed that there was a widespread and profound influence which came from economics and other fields of culture. In the meantime, under these intricate effects, the progress of traditional Chinese painting had been shaped and developed for about two thousand years to the beginning of the twentieth century, traditional Chinese painting had been developing in gradual change and formed unique materials, techniques, methods and styles. These elements formed excellent tradition and set up their own proper or definite place in history.

We may try to find the essence of tradition from three periods of painting development. According to Lin Fengmian, (famous painter, theorist in modern time of China) the influence of Buddhism divided the history of traditional Chinese painting into three periods: before the influence of Buddhism as the first period; after the influence of Buddhism up to the end of the Song Dynasty (about A. D. 220 - A. D. 1200) as the second period; from the Yang Dynasty (about A.D.1279 - Beginning of Twentieth Century) as a tradition and starting period of the third period in painting history. In his study about historical progress of traditional Chinese painting evolution, he summarized this evolution as: The first period, exhibits painting of decorative pattern as the trait; the second of Lin's three major periods expresses aesthetic feeling of meandering line of painting as the trait; and the last period expresses a tendency which showed objects simply, purely and swiftly as the trait.

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