A Russian artist sketches in Guyan Huaxiang in Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

The Guyan Huaxiang Art Center in Lishui, Zhejiang province, has launched a phase achievement exhibition for its artist residence program.

Featuring the Lotus series created during their residency by artists Chen Qi and Wang Haipin, the exhibition has drawn many painting enthusiasts and tourists.

The thriving artistic atmosphere in Guyan Huaxiang stems from the artist residence initiative launched by Liandu district in 2024. Supported by local culture and tourism policies, the program provides funding subsidies and free studio space.

This enables artists to immerse themselves in the local cultural fabric and enrich the area's artistic landscape, driving high-quality development for the industry. By the end of 2025, the program had completed two phases and attracted 93 artists.

Beyond providing abundant creative resources, Guyan Huaxiang has also built cross-regional exchange platforms for artists through quarterly themed salons that facilitate the sharing of ideas.

The program also effectively translates art into market value. For instance, works created by seven top artists from Russian academies during their residency were all collected by buyers from various Chinese cities.

Multiple high-quality exhibitions have been held in Guyan Huaxiang, displaying over 400 works. Resident artists have also engaged with local schools. More than 300 institutions, including leading Chinese art academies, have established practice bases in Guyan Huaxiang, hosting over 150,000 art students annually.