This style of painting is about using the whole body to view the subject, without measuring or defining it, whereas the Western artist has been more interested in the eye and what it sees. The Chinese therefore paint what they know, not what they see.
HISTORY
Chinese Brush Painting has a long record, starting with Shamanism (making marks on turtle shells for divination), recording possessions or ceremonies for wall paintings in tombs, and paintings on silk as funeral banners. So in the early days it was mainly the depiction of figures.
In the 6th century while figure painting was popular, Xie He produced the Six Canons, which have since (probably erroneously) been applied to all subjects.
1.    Rhythmic vitality (qi)
2.    Structure and brushwork
3.    Modelling after an object
4.    Appropriate colouring
5.    Careful composition
6.    Following and copying
From the Five Dynasties period, landscapes were perfected, showing a preference for nature with the Daoist influence. With landscape painting came the importance of space, especially from artists such as Wang Wei.
Emperor Hui Tsung formed the Imperial Academy in the Northern Song period, where flowers and birds in particular, were painted in a literal style. This brought about a reaction from some of the scholar painters and monks who delighted in the reverse.
By the Ming Dynasty there were either literati painters or those who relied on a sponsor. Whereas the Qing Dynasty saw the formation of various schools and styles of painting, often in reaction to the government of the time.
After 1912, artists had to paint to earn a living (rather than paint while being a paid Official), consequently the format and size of their paintings changed to a more saleable commodity. More recently the effects of environmental issues have had an impact on the subjects chosen, often with a statement being made about pollution and nature etc.