Song Zhuang Artist Village, located in Tong Zhou District (eastern suburbs of Beijing), is the most famous and biggest artist community in Beijing. Now nearly 400 artists live in Song Zhuang, which is seen as synonymous with the Chinese avant-garde not only in China but also in other countries.

From the beginning, most of the residents in the village have been avant-garde painters. Now the area accommodates one of the largest artists' communities in China, drawing painters of varying styles; ranging from the avant-garde to the academic. Sculptors and photographers also call the area home.

Village painters believe that the quiet and independent environment in the countryside not only brings them closer to nature, but also allows for independence and the intellectual distance they feel is needed for the distraction-free practice of art.

For many of the village artists, nothing is more important than a steady, unhurried, and unrestricted life. They live as they like and each day they are among friends.

 From Hostile to Flourishing

Coming from different areas of China, most of the artists don't have a stable job, but rather live by selling their works.

In the early 1990s, freelance artists from all over China began to come and settle in Song Zhuang. At that time, the old villagers were hostile to these newcomers, which was unavoidable in such a stable and closed village. Painters had to pay much more than other villagers at the time whenever the village built roads or installed ammeters (electricity meters).

After 2000, this condition greatly changed. Painters gradually obtained a relatively equal status in the village. Now, whenever some important things happen, some painters with a high prestige even are invited to discuss with the villagers.