Dear Art Lovers,

Recently I had the opportunity to travel to China with a small group of artists from Latvia. We painted en plein air, visited exhibitions and universities, and did some sightseeing. In this post, I want to share this experience with you.

We visited Guangzhou – China’s third-largest city with a population of almost 19 million. Located in southern China, not far from Hong Kong, Guangzhou has a history of over 2 thousand years. As a major terminus of the Silk Road, Guangzhou played a big role in trade, connecting China with the rest of the world. This long history of commerce shaped the city into a place where traditional Chinese culture exists side by side with current global influences and innovations.

We visited historical sights like Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, wandered through beautiful green parks, and hiked Baiyun Mountain — a peak overlooking the whole city. We also saw the modern side of Guangzhou, with its famous Canton Tower and a stunning opera house designed by Zaha Hadid.

Despite its vast population, Guangzhou didn’t feel overwhelmingly crowded. What surprised me is how green the city is – the streets are lined with beautiful trees and the city is full of large parks that are used by locals for exercising, dancing, playing cards, and singing karaoke. Another thing that was hard to grasp was just how large the city is. Even after an hour-long commute to a different part of town, it still felt endless.

Because we had only one week, our trip was fast-paced. Every day, we visited two different locations, trying to fit in both sightseeing and painting. Some people sketched, some drew, others used watercolors, and I, as always, painted with oil.

Painting in China is not easy — people are very curious, and there are a lot of them! In busy locations, I would often be surrounded from the start of my painting to the very end, sometimes by 10-20 people. Some even stayed for the entire painting process! It is wonderful that people are so interested and are willing to spend time watching an artist work. Still, it was challenging at times to paint with such a keen-eyed audience. I was glad that, even though I usually tend to choose the most solitary spot I can find for painting, I’ve also had practice painting in busy locations before this trip. That practice came in handy! 😅

From an artistic point of view, painting in Guangzhou was a joy! Our chosen locations were diverse and felt different from what I am used to in Europe. From high-rise buildings to green parks adorned with Chinese lanterns and serene Buddhist temples — every part of the city was vibrant and alive with the energy of people inhabiting it. Not one place I saw felt abandoned and underused.

Despite the language barrier (as few locals knew English), people were always kind and eager to help. The collectivist mindset was evident in how locals were quick to offer advice or directions and in their overall courtesy. Locals were curious about us just as much as we were about them.

A week is definitely not enough time to get acquainted with China, and I feel like I only scratched the surface. Hopefully, I’ll have a chance to visit again in the future to explore more of China’s landscapes and experience different aspects of its culture, traditions, and daily life.

Thank you for reading!

I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to leave a comment and start a conversation!