Dafen Village a living gallery of oil paintings

Dafen Village, located in Longgang District, is known as the "first oil painting village in China." This small village, covering only 0.4 km², is home to over 1,800 galleries and art institutions, more than 60 famous enterprises and about 8,000 oil painting artists. Meanwhile, the number of oil painters reaches over 20,000 if those in surrounding communities are counted in, making it the largest production and trading base for commercial oil paintings, as well as an important global distribution center for this genre of paintings. The village also hosts the widely acclaimed Dafen International Oil Painting Biennale, Shenzhen and the National (Dafen) Exhibition of Oil Paintings by Young and Middle-aged Artists, which have become well-known exhibitions among national oil painting circles.

In 1989, Huang Jiang, a Hong Kong art dealer, opened the first oil painting workshop in Dafen Village. Since then, Dafen, originally a Hakka village, has become increasingly rich in cultural terms. In succeeding years, more and more painters were drawn to the village to earn a living or create oil paintings. These artists, whether working in a small studio or on a narrow street, are usually seen in rows, painting stunning scenery on canvas and even forming part of the landscape themselves. The artists have progressed from copying others' works to creating their own, and their works can be seen dotting the roads and alleys or walls. Paintings, graffiti and other artworks suffuse the village, creating the feeling that one has walked into a virtual oil painting.

When in Dafen Village, people can appreciate the paintings on offer and soak up the scenery. Likewise, they can pick up a brush and paint whatever their heart desires.

Official WeChat Account: 大芬油画村 (WeChat ID: DFYHCWX)

Opening hours: 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (closed on Mondays, except statutory holidays)

Tel: 8473-2622, 8951-3233

Add: Dafen Community, Buji Subdistrict, Longgang District (龙岗区布吉街道大芬社区大芬油画村)

Metro: Line 3 to Dafen Station (大芬站), Exit A1