Business vs brushes

The rise in the price of land has forced an irrevocable change in the relationship between Songzhuang artists and the local farmers, their long time hosts, according to painter Lin Wei, who moved to the area in 2002.

"At one time, the locals genuinely thanked and even worshipped these 'zany artists', thanks to whom they went from plowing the fields to building and renting farm houses to the newcomers," she said. "But that was before the land became so coveted that the farmers started to sound and act like real landlords.

Now, small businesses have replaced artists as the tenants of choice, according to Lin. "Despite the increase in land prices, renting an office compound here still costs only a tiny fraction of the amount needed for a location inside Beijing's Fifth Ring Road," she said. "The rapid development of the area has given it a visibility to commercial enterprises."