Graffiti art adorns ancient town’s wall

A FLAT wall along busy Qixin Road has been decorated with artistic graffiti in the latest public art project in Qibao Town.

The theme of the artwork is the past, present and future of the ancient town, with pop art used to express its history.

“Graffiti can convey the culture of a region,” said Yu Liang, a town staff member. “Qixin Road is one of the main roads in the district. We invited the China Academy of Art to design the graffiti.”

The graffiti wall is 350 meters long, comprised of three parts. The first tells the history of the town, which became an important commercial center during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and reached its heyday in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

The graffiti explains the source of the town’s name. Qibao literally means “seven treasures,” including sacred trees, a golden chicken and a jade axe still remaining today. It is said that originally there were eight treasures, but one was stolen.

The graffiti also expresses local heritage, such as puppet plays, lion dancing and specialty snacks of the area.

The second part of the graffiti is mounted like movie scenes, which show the transformation of the town over the last century. The third part focuses on modern realms like fashion, education and technology that are taking the area into the future.

Zhu Weijian, a professor in wall painting at the China Academy of Art, was the overall designer of the beautification project.

“It took half a month to finish the whole wall,” he said. “I think it adds an artistic touch to the whole block. We used the best outdoor sprays to ensure the colors will remain up to five years.”

Academy students and staff were the driving force behind the artwork. They used projectors to cast shapes and draw outlines on the wall before painting in the colors. Volunteers from the local area also pitched in to help.

“It’s the charm of public art,” said an American basketball coach from Shixi High School who identified himself only as Jay.