Land of the peach blossom beckons once more

A new art center is providing a cultural fillip to a small city

When night falls in the city of Changde in Hunan province, you will find many people playing cards, relaxing with a soothing foot massage or taking part in some other activity to while away the time. A fancy art center that opened in September now offers another choice to those yearning to be involved in cultural activities.

In the inaugural show of the art center, which cost 60 million yuan ($9.07 million) to build, works of top Chinese artists were on display, including those of Xu Bing, known for his large-scale installations, and the sculptor Sui Jianguo.