Xukou－Famous for Calligraphy and Painting

2009-2-4 8:54:00

Xukou is a small town beside the Taihu Lake. On August 6, 1991, the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China formally nominated Xukou Township in Jiangsu Province as a "Kingdom of Chinese Calligraphy and Paintings." Of the total population of about 20,000, more than 2,000 farmers have become painters, and their works are popular in Japan and the US. The annual sales value of their pictures has reached the 30-million-yuan since 2005.

Yushe and Yaoshe villages are particularly famous for their calligraphy and painting. Over five million calligraphy and paintings have been produced in the county by more than 600 artists since 1956. In 1988 the "Youth Calligraphy and Painting Research Society of the Fragrant Hill of Wuxian County" was established. Xukou Village's farmer paintings are renowned for their unique style integrating a strong flavor of life with the fragrance of the soil.

Xu Kunyuan, student of the famous Chinese painter, Zhang Xinjia, came to Xukou 40 years ago, bringing art to the life of farmers there. Nowadays, painting has become part of life here, and Xukou farmers have completely inherited the artistic style of Xu.

The themes of the paintings by those farmers are not only life in the villages, but also reflect their unique understanding of the world. Twenty-six painters from other parts of China have set up studios in Xukou. Painting has successfully become an industry without losing its artistry. The efficient painting industrial chain in Xukou has brought handsome profits to the farmers.