Works created by Xiang'an farmers capturing their daily life. [Photo/taihainet.com]

Bold designs, vivid colors and elaborate snapshots of daily life – these are not remarks about world renowned paintings, but are instead about works created by a group of rustic yet creative farmers living in Xiang'an, Xiamen. 

Their most remarkable work was a redesigned version of Along the River during the Qingming Festival, also known by its Chinese name as the Qingming Shanghe Tu, where renowned painter Zhang Zeduan used successive scenes to reveal lifestyles across different levels of society. 

The farmers grasped the delicate sense of the master and infused the characteristic local lacquer art into their adaptation, creating a novel blend which offers glimpses into their rural life and folk customs, as well as a way to escape the urban hustle and bustle. 

Though amateurs, the farmers stood out for their instinctive love of the ground and won the hearts of appreciators around the world in just three short years. The district of Xiang'an was even dubbed the "hometown of modern folk painting". 

It is here on Aug 24 that Pan Zhijian, an inheritor and representative of the Xiang'an farmers' painting group, will host a salon with local residents to share his reflections on the folk art. The activity will run from 9:30 to 12:00 am in room 3 on the second floor of the city cultural center.