Exploring Shenzhen: Dafen Oil Painting Villag

Dafen Oil Painting Village

Today, I checked out The Dafen Oil Painting Village, which was founded in the early 1990s by twenty artists led by businessman, Huang Jiang. The artists in Dafen specialized in replica oil paintings of the master’s, like Van Gogh, Monet, and da Vinci. These paintings were sold overseas and as demand increased, more and more artists moved in the village. Today, Dafen is filled with thousands of artists producing both originaland replia work. You can find all techniques here, from calligraphy to photography. Walking down the alleys you will find artists with their color palettes in hand and easels erect creating masterpieces. You'll get lost walking around poking your head into different shops checking out all of the different pieces. I recommend arriving in the morning in case you want to get a piece painted. That way, it will be ready for you within a few hours and you will be able to get it custom framed before you go home. Dafen is by far the coolest place I've been to in Shenzhen, I highly recommend a visit.  

Directions:

Take the Metro Line 1 going towards Airport East and get off at the Shopping Park stop. Transfer to Line 3 going towards Shuanglong and get off at Dafen. Exit the metro and make a right, keep walking straight and you will see a sign that say Dafen Oil Painting Village.