The art of farming draws visitors to Shaanxi village

XI'AN－An artistic atmosphere has infused Caijiapo village at the foot of the Qinling Mountains, as the citizens of nearby Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, have flooded in to attend a series of art events.

"Harvesting wheat is an art and as we are the owners of the wheat fields, we are part of that art," said 60-year-old farmer Chen Meng, when he was asked to explain art.

Photographers took photos of the villagers laughing after the harvest, and then turned them into huge posters as part of a wheat field exhibition.

As a mountain village, wheat, corn, grapes and kiwi fruit were the main sources of income for residents, but then in 2018, a team from the Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts came to Caijiapo for an art experiment and thanks to the local government and residents, a number of artworks were created and exhibited in the village.

Tourists and art students were soon drawn to Caijiapo.

"I have been running a restaurant for years. Thanks to the increase in the flow of people, the business has taken a turn for the better," Chen said.

Wang Yan, former village chief, said: "The arrival of artists has enriched the lives of villagers. Murals, exhibitions, art and music festivals have been held, one after another. Incomes have also increased in the meantime."

Li Hua, Party chief of Xi'an's Huyi district, which channels art activities and artists to the village, said: "After winning the fight against poverty, we hope to make use of the cultural resources of the countryside, so that villagers can live quality lives. They can drink a cup of coffee by the Qinling Mountains, or listen to a concert in the wheat fields."

Following in the footsteps of Caijiapo, other villages in Huyi have also begun to explore their own artistic potential to boost rural cultural tourism.

Xinhua