Painting an image of the past

In Gongmeijiayuan community, the four wall painters passing by their works. [Photo/Xinhua]

In order to choose the theme of the wall painting for a settled community, the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau of Yuxi City solicited the opinions of residents, and the "nostalgic style" was the first choice.

This group of post-80s artists painted the streets, pavements, gardens and residential buildings piece by piece from their childhood memories. "The chubby bloke who 'smashed the tofu block' is Zhong Yansong, and the girl who stepped on the sewing machine is me," says Zhang Mengting while pointing at the team's work and smiles.

Over the last two years, they have painted more than 1,000 square meters of wall for 700 old communities that have been renovated in Yuxi. Many residents even consider them as family members, offering them free water, umbrellas and meals. Children wanted rabbits to appear on the wall paintings, and they painted bunnies. "When people say they like our works and the wall paintings make the environment more beautiful, we really feel a sense of professional achievement," says Zhong.

What the four didn't expect was that when they painted their childhood favorite cartoon Nezha Conquers the Dragon King, they unexpectedly made this residential building an internet sensation. Yang Xue, a resident who has lived in the community for 28 years, says: "It's very gratifying to see the place where I live has changed. Every community is a piece of the urban puzzle. The more beautiful the community becomes, the more beautiful the city evolves."

Wang adds: "These wall paintings are not only the childhood of our generation, but also the memories of the residents. They also allow the next generation to learn more about that time, and we will continue to paint."

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