Chen Chuantao says: "Oil painting can plant the seed of art in the hearts of children. They not only can cultivate a hobby, but also learn a skill for future employment.

"I also hope that this will contribute to passing down Xianliu village's oil painting culture."

Wu Jinxiu, a volunteer painter-teacher in her 40s, says that, in the beginning, she was "worried that the children would be reluctant to take oil painting classes". "I didn't expect them to show such great interest," Wu adds.

She plans to take the children out into the countryside and have them paint in a natural setting, improving their observation ability and painting skills.

Meanwhile, Tunchang county authorities are increasing art instruction in primary and junior middle schools. The county regularly holds oil painting competitions for students and arranges for local painters to give lectures, creating a favorable atmosphere for the cultivation of oil painting. Some schools with more educational resources have set up their own professional art courses, teaching photography, comic illustration and computer-aided design.

"Most of the children who learn painting do it as a hobby," says Chen Yejie, a volunteer painter-teacher in his 30s.

He believes, though, that such education will have a subtle but powerful impact. "We hope to create an artistic atmosphere in the village and cultivate a group of talented children who will become creative high-end professional painters in the future," he says.