A prosperous Pasadena artist wanted for allegedly stealing nearly $8 million in China has built an empire of devoted disciples in California based on the claim that he is the reincarnation of Buddha.

HONG KONG — A set of 1,400-year-old Buddha statues in southwest China was damaged by villagers who painted them with bright colors to “redeem a wish to the god,” officials said. Subscribe to read this ...

The status of painting, drawing and poetry was extremely high through millennia of Chinese history until all traditions fractured in the revolutions of the 20 th century. The visual arts, often ...