From a pen to a paintbrush

When Ma Jianguo's book, A Collection of Jack Ma's Ink and Wash Masterpieces, was published in 2015, the painter and journalist said he owes much of his artistic achievements to his journalism background.

Ma is a member of the China Artists' Association, the elite circle of artists in China. He is also a senior reporter at Xinhua News Agency, one of the country's most influential media institutions.

The freehand paintings, mostly depicting the Taihang Mountains, express Ma's love for the landscape of the mountainous region near his hometown of Handan, an ancient city where China's first emperor, Qin Shihuang, was born more than 2,000 years ago.