Xu Hong works on a painting depicting Universiade volunteers near a Universiade U Station - a station where volunteers offer help to people during the Universiade in Dafen Village, Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province. 30-year-old Xu came to Guangdong 11 years ago, after dropping out of a vocational school as a design student. He had been working as a designer until three years ago, when he came to Dafen Village. He has donated his time and skills to the U Station for free, with a volunteer organization financing the painting materials. "I love these volunteers, they are so very innocent and nice. It's tough for them to work in such hot weather of Shenzhen." [Photo by Wang Qingyun/ chinadaily.com.cn]

Part of Xu Hong's painting depicting Universiade volunteers in Dafen Village, Aug 20, 2011. [Photo by Wang Qingyun/ chinadaily.com.cn] 

A painter works on an artwork ordered by a hotel in Dafen Oil Painting Village in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, Aug 20, 2011. According to the painter Chen Daqing, the paint costs about 1700 yuan ($266) per square meter. Chen has been painting for a living in the village for about 20 years. He now has a studio where he employs five painters. When asked if he'll continue to reside in the village, he said: "Sure, why not? It's real here," referring to the booming art market the village has brought. [Photo by Wang Qingyun/ chinadaily.com.cn] 

28-year-old Xian Rulin takes one of his paintings off the wall of his stall in Dafen Village, Aug 20, 2011. Xian learned painting for two months after he graduated from the junior high school, and came to Shenzhen in 2001. "I'd like to go to high school, but I couldn't finance through it." Having been in the village for five years, Xian now owns a studio with a partner. He says the studio gets orders for hundreds of paintings a month during its busiest time. Now the father of a two-year-old, Xian would like to try photography, but buying a single-lens reflex camera is too costly. "It's hard when you have your own family," he said. [Photo by Wang Qingyun/ chinadaily.com.cn] 

A replicated painting is hung on the wall in Dafen village, Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, Aug 20, 2011. [Photo by Wang Qingyun/chinadaily.com.cn]

A painter copies a picture of Taylor Swift in Dafen Oil Painting Village in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, Aug 20, 2011. [Photo by Wang Qingyun/ chinadaily.com.cn]