THE PAINTINGS DISPLAYED IN THIS SECTION WERE PAINTED, MOSTLY, BY CHINESE ARTISTS AND DEPICT VARIOUS SCENES WITHIN CHINA. THEY SPAN A PERIOD FROM ABOUT 1750 TO 1860. THESE PAINTINGS WERE EXECUTED IN THE EUROPEAN STYLE BECAUSE THEY WERE INTENDED MAINLY FOR THE EXPORT MARKET. THEY WERE VALUED IN THE WEST WHERE THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS INTEREST IN CHINESE ART AND CULTURE.

FOREIGNERS WHO CAME TO JAPAN WERE INTENSELY INTERESTED IN TRADE WITH BOTH CHINA AND JAPAN. PEOPLE CAME FOR ADVENTURE, FOR LEARNING AND FOR PROFIT. THE CHINESE COMMUNITY HAS A LONG AND RICH HISTORY IN KOBE. CHINESE RESIDENTS OF KOBE HAVE FACILITATED GOOD RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND JAPAN, AND THE WORLD AT LARGE. CHINESE FRIENDS AND DIPLOMATS WERE FREQUENT VISITORS AND WERE IMPORTANT IN THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE CULTURE, PROSPERITY AND THE INTERNATIONAL CHARACTER OF THIS CITY.