Lishui, China – September 28, 2026 – “Guyan Huaxiang is an absolutely breathtaking place. Its villages, the Oujiang River, green mountains, mist, light and shadow all come together in remarkable harmony,” said veteran French artist and Guyan Huaxiang “Global Art Partner” Mathieu Neau on September 24 in Guyan Huaxiang, Liandu District, Lishui, Zhejiang Province. For an artist, he added, it is difficult to imagine a place better suited to artistic creation.
The Oujiang Art Season and Lishui New Rhythms · 2026 Landscape Painting Exhibition opened the same day at Guyan Huaxiang and will run through October. Centered on the theme “Landscapes Come to Life in Art,” the season features five major sections encompassing art activities along the Oujiang River, an art carnival, landscape dialogues, an art market, and artist residency and incubation programs.
At the opening ceremony, the Zhejiang Oil Painters Association and Zhejiang Watercolorists Association also signed strategic cooperation agreements with local partners to support the development of Lishui’s artistic talent.
“I see painters and visitors sketching together, digital nomads creating alongside local residents, and an artistic dialogue unfolding across continents between Fontainebleau in France and the landscapes of the Oujiang River in Liandu. Artists speaking different languages are finding common ground in the same landscape,” said Luo Xianyue, former deputy inspector of the Zhejiang Federation of Literary and Art Circles and chairman of the Zhejiang Watercolorists Association.
Luo said the Lishui New Rhythms · 2026 Landscape Painting Exhibition would bring together outstanding works by prominent artists from across China and local painters from Lishui, using oil painting and watercolor to portray the region’s green mountains and clear waters while documenting changes of the times.
Guyan Huaxiang owes its identity to both its ancient weir and its painting tradition. The “Guyan,” or ancient weir, refers to the 1,500-year-old Tongji Weir, while “Huaxiang,” or painting village, reflects the area’s artistic heritage. In the late 1980s, young artists began setting up their easels along the Oujiang River, inspired by its sailing boats, ancient camphor trees and misty landscapes. Their artistic practice gradually gave rise to what became known as Lishui Barbizon. Tongji Weir was designated among the first World Heritage Irrigation Structures in 2014.
Over the past two decades, Guyan Huaxiang has hosted town art festivals, international Barbizon exchange exhibitions and the “Global Art Partner” recruitment program. These initiatives have helped establish a distinctive development model in which art supports rural revitalization and culture brings new vitality to the landscape. During this period, per capita income among residents in the core area has increased more than tenfold.
About Guyan Huaxiang
Guyan Huaxiang Scenic Spot, located in Liandu District, Lishui, Zhejiang Province, is a national AAAA-rated tourist attraction, a UNESCO-recognized heritage destination, and the birthplace of Lishui Barbizon. The scenic area is home to Tongji Weir, a 1,500-year-old irrigation system designated as a World Heritage Irrigation Structure in 2014. Blending historic water-conservancy heritage, Oujiang River landscapes and a distinctive painting tradition, Guyan Huaxiang has developed into an important destination for artistic creation, cultural exchange and tourism in Zhejiang.
Media ContactCompany Name: Guyan Huaxiang Art CenterContact Person: International Communications OfficeEmail: Send EmailCountry: ChinaWebsite: http://www.lsgyhx.com/index.html
