In the city of Heze, located in southwestern Shandong province, Juye County is positioning itself as the nation’s largest trading hub for meticulous peony paintings, aiming for a comprehensive output value of 4 billion yuan ($563 million) in the calligraphy and painting sector by 2025.
Currently, Juye produces over 1.2 million meticulous peony paintings annually, generating an output value exceeding 2 billion yuan, according to Cheng Junwei, president of the Juye County Calligraphy and Painting Academy.
To enhance the visibility of Juye’s Gongbi peony paintings, the county has initiated a farmer-painter cultivation project and established professional bases in towns and villages for this art form, Cheng noted.
As of May 2023, the local government has invested 78 million yuan and attracted 170 million yuan in social capital, resulting in the establishment of 49 rural grassroots painting studios with 11,000 artists involved.
To nurture more artisans, Juye has organized 50 public welfare training sessions specifically for Gongbi peony painting, alongside 29 popularization classes and 15 foundational improvement courses in 2023, training over 2,000 artists.
Yu Xuexia, who has dedicated nearly 30 years to meticulous peony painting, describes it as both a passion and a reliable income source. “In the past three decades, I have continually improved my skills and seen the prices of my paintings rise,” she said. “Now, I can complete five paintings a month, earning between 5,000 to 6,000 yuan monthly.”
Huang Wenjing, a newcomer in the Gongbi peony painting training program, expressed her initial lack of confidence but has since gained a sense of accomplishment. “With the teacher’s hands-on guidance, I can now adjust and add color to my work, and I’m even attempting a six-foot painting,” she shared.
Cheng emphasized that Juye County is committed to its goals of “building a painting brand, nurturing talent, expanding the market, and reaching international audiences” to robustly develop its meticulous peony painting industry.
Additionally, by aligning with Heze’s development strategy, Juye aims to leverage its peony painting industry as a catalyst for rural revitalization in the new era, Cheng added.
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