Village murals bring Beijing dreams closer

Wu Chengyan, a 39-year-old artist from Wuying village in Shangqiu, Henan province, has transformed the village's gray walls into large-scale murals, drawing elderly visitors from both the village and across the country.

During the New Year holiday, elderly visitors lined up to take photos in front of an 18-meter-long and 8-meter-high Tian'anmen-themed mural created by Wu, many dressed in new clothes. Roads leading in and out of the village were packed with parked cars.

"It is exactly the same as seeing Tian'anmen Square on TV," said a woman in her 70s.

Many elderly visitors arrived in wheelchairs or on tricycles, accompanied by their children.

"I heard the old people say, 'This year is really a good year.' Those simple words meant more to me than anything else," Wu said.

"Many of them never had the chance to visit Beijing due to poor health or financial constraints. This Tian'anmen mural fulfilled that lifelong dream of theirs," said his wife, Chang Lihua.

Wu, a native of Wuying village, has loved drawing since childhood. His father, a doctor and amateur art enthusiast, believed art could not be a career. Still, Wu aspired to attend the Central Academy of Fine Arts in high school but failed the gaokao five times between 2006 and 2010 due to weak English skills.

In 2015, Wu and his wife opened a kindergarten in Shangqiu. In his spare time, he continued painting and refining his techniques. In 2018, he became a member of the Henan Provincial Art Association.

"It was a high recognition of my painting," Wu said.

In the following years, however, the kindergarten faced operational difficulties, leaving the couple with significant debt.

Wu's life took a turn in 2023, when he painted his first mural in the village as a gift for his wife's grandparents. Unable to travel due to age and limited mobility, the couple wanted to go hiking, so Wu painted vivid natural scenery on the wall of their home.

He soon gained recognition in the village, and other elderly residents began requesting murals. Wu accepted all requests and has completed more than 40 murals for free.

Since then, Chang has shared videos of his work on social media, attracting a nationwide following. Within one year, the couple's Douyin account went viral twice: first with a Nezha-themed mural in March 2025, and later with the Tian'anmen mural, which drew more than 100,000 visitors to the village during the New Year holiday.

Wu initially focused on landscapes and animation characters. After some villagers expressed interest in "red stories," he began creating murals depicting themes such as the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China, Japan's surrender, the Red Boat, and Unit 731.

Before painting the Tian'anmen mural, Wu asked a friend in Beijing to take reference photos. It took him five days to complete the work.

"Many elderly people suffer from presbyopia, so I used a generalizing technique to enhance the three-dimensional effect, allowing them to see clearly," Wu said.

"I was raised by the elders in the village. After my mother passed away in 2019, they took even better care of me. I always feel I owe them something," he said. "Many of them regret not being able to visit places they dreamed of. My mother had such dreams, too. When I paint for other elders, I feel like I'm making up for that regret."

Now, invitations for Wu to paint murals have come from across the country, including Anhui, Jiangxi, Guizhou, Shanxi and Shandong provinces.

Wu said his income mainly comes from painting outside the village. Meanwhile, he and his wife are exploring livestreaming to sell products. In the future, he hopes to continue painting for free, not only for villagers but also for his online followers.

"We wouldn't be where we are without the villagers lifting us up," Chang said. "We'll never forget our roots. The village and its people are the foundation of everything we do."