Jinan artists create masterpiece to fete 20 years of springs

Recently, 78-year-old Kang Zhuang and 77-year-old Xie Weichu, both Jinan artists, were invited to create a large painting titled "The City of a Thousand Springs" to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the continuous gushing of springs in Jinan.

As the painting was scheduled to be showcased two days later as a grand finale of an exhibition honoring this milestone, the artists faced numerous challenges and time constraints.

As Baotu Spring is considered as the best spring in the world, and the 20th anniversary of the continuous gushing of springs in Jinan is symbolized by its resurgence, the painting had to either feature or be based around this subject.

With this concept in mind, the two artists set to work. Kang was responsible for painting the foreground, while Xie was put in charge of the background, as they worked together to complete this large-scale artwork.

While Kang was busy depicting the weeping willows, Xie painted the gushing spring at the other end of the canvas. With their joint efforts, they were able to complete the masterpiece, a process that would normally take at least a month, in just two days, despite their elderly years and physical ailments.