Hainan art village draws crowds with murals, traditional crafts

Ancient volcanic stone walls stand alongside vibrant murals in Quanyongdong village, Lingshan town, Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, where a century of history meets modern art.

An artist paints a mural in Quanyongdong village, Lingshan town, Meilan district, Haikou, south China's Hainan Province. (Photo/Sun Shijie)

Homeowner Wang Zhaochun greets visitors near a peony painting on his house facade, while tourists photograph children against the colorful backdrop.

The village has transformed dramatically in recent years. In late 2019, advertising professional Wang Kai visited the suburban village with artist Wang Bin. Drawn to its proximity to the city center and pastoral scenery, the two envisioned turning it into an art village.

The pair began by renting local homes and commissioning young artist Zhao Zhifei to paint a mural of a squirrel eating corn. The artwork became the village's main attraction and drew large crowds after going viral.

"Cars would jam the village entrance, and people had to queue just to take photos with the squirrel," recalled Sheng Yu, a local palm-weaving craftsman.

The community soon adopted the name "898 Art Village," a nod to Hainan's telephone area code, 0898.

Wang Kai and his team recruited artists and craftspeople to settle in the village. They include 89-year-old calligrapher Chen Yishen, who teaches Chinese character history at the village academy; Xu Dalian, who creates wall sculptures using traditional materials like shell powder, glutinous rice and brown sugar; and Chen Caiying, who demonstrates Miao embroidery techniques.

Art studios have opened throughout the village.

In 2023, the village was added to provincial and municipal cultural development programs. The following year, Lingshan town developed tourism routes and marketing plans for the art village as part of rural development efforts. The village received provincial-level rural tourism designation.

New cultural venues, including a wood and stone museum, have brought more activity to the community.

Art has become part of daily village life. Residents host communal banquets featuring three-colored rice and bamboo pole dancing. Artists offer free classes through volunteer teams, while villagers run a choir and evening performances.

"We want the art village to be an open platform where art becomes part of daily life," Wang Kai said.