Art gives new life to village

Long afflicted with gripping poverty, Qianhe village in Central China's Henan province was once deserted as residents moved out. But ceramic arts lit the hamlet up.

Arts and crafts, including colorful enamel paintings of door gods and wall art, using thousands of ceramic bowls to depict the cosmos, have given the village's old residences a facelift and a new lease of life.

The once empty site in Luoling county now attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to its exhibition hall of ceramic arts. This turnaround is due to one artist's inspiration. Four years ago, senior ceramic artist Guo Aihe, 51, came to the village as it is located in the core area of the origins of Chinese ceramics.