Quanzhou, also commissioned overseas artists and artists from Hong Kong and Taiwan to create art pieces that can reflect their impression on Quanzhou.

Weng Qingtu, director general of Jinmen County Fine Arts Institute, was born and bred in Kinmen which is a small archipelago of several islands of Taiwan. It is geographically adjacent to Ximen and Quanzhou. Despite being claimed by mainland China in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Kinmen has been controlled by Taiwan since the Republic of China was defeated in Chinese Civil War.

Weng has been haunted by the separation between his hometown Kinmen and its motherland. "Kinmen is just several kilometers far away from Ximen. Despite the short distance, currently, it is not a part of Chinese mainland territories, which makes me really sad," lamented Weng.

Upon being commissioned for a piece of painting, Weng got an inspiration from a river in Kinmen that overlooks Zhangzhou city of Fujian province. His work portrays the tranquility and peacefulness of the river, complete with swathes of weeds on the riverbank. A hint of sadness and desolation shines through the painting as the gentle sunlight casts a shadow over the water at dawn. "The setting could prompt a homesick sentiment among viewers, which is shared by Kinmen people who have been longing to return to its motherland for quite a long time," said Weng emotionally.

Watercolor painting by Weng Qingtu, director general of Jinmen County Fine Arts Institute. [Photo by Wang Yuke/chinadaily.com.cn]

However, he was pleased to say, there is no geographical boundary between people from both sides thanks to the development of tourism. "Cruises between Kinmen and Xiamen are available every half an hour, so are ships commuting between Kinmen and Quanzhou," Weng grinned, "It's unimaginable when I was a child. At that time, we were totally cut off from the mainland. In my memory, mainland was a mystery that could never be untangled and comprehended."