Chen Shaoqin:

72-year- old Volunteer Guide for Contemporary Art

“We can’t control the length of life, but we can expand its dimensions.”

Chen Shaoqin set an example for those in their 70s to live their lives to the fullest.

In 1950, Chen was born into an ordinary family in Xiamen City, southeastern China’s Fujian Province. She only started to learn English at age 40, but still managed to pass examinations to receive higher education and become a white- collar worker at a foreign trade company.

In her 60s, Chen first got involved in contemporary art.

After retirement, Chen went to live with her son in Beijing. After accompanying her granddaughter to the famous 798 Art District to watch cultural and art exhibitions so many times, she also became a contemporary art enthusiast. She actively lingered around various cultural activities such as exhibitions and lectures, carefully taking notes to absorb artistic nutrients as much as possible.

In 2016, Chen was invited by the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art to become a volunteer tour guide, the oldest on staff.

When introducing artworks on display to visitors, she deploys her extensive knowledge of history, aesthetics, sociology, and psychology, not only covering the artists’ creation and life stories, but also her interpretation and understanding of their works.

Every interpretation is so passionate and professional that visitors are regularly touched. Her stories have even been recorded in short videos and gone viral on the social media platform Wechat Moments. Now, she is an online celebrity, dubbed “Passionate Grandma Interpreter.”

Chen considers these days the best of her life. After retirement, she was able to continue contributing to society as an art museum tour guide, which brought her a great sense of fulfillment and happiness.