Beijing at brush strokes of a Russian painter

In one of Beijing's "hutong" alleyways, Liuba, a 30-something Russian pedlar is busy touting her self-designed postcards, posters and calendars featuring the city's characteristics.

An ecstatic fan of the capital city, Liuba's paintings emanate a stroke of vividity -- skyscrapers stringing out along the flyovers, museums in artistic design, and kids playing with snow in quadrangle courtyards imbue the historical city with a modern twist and a thick breath of life.

"Beijing is a city of past and future as the fleeting time sketches the city's views by everyday changes. My affection for the city is hidden between the strokes," Liuba said.

Born in Irkutsk, Russia, Liuba decided to settle down in Beijing after graduating from a university in northeast China's Liaoning Province where she participated in an exchange program in international trade and learned the Chinese language.

A painting enthusiast, she draws inspiration from everyday life in the city. "At first, I just drew whatever I saw from time to time and posted the paintings on social media, which turned out to receive many likes with netizens willing to purchase my artwork," said Liuba.