Zhangjiajie through the Brush: An Ink Painting Journey

In a hands-on studio with a local artist, learn expressive brush techniques to capture the interplay of ink, strokes, and composition. Create your own painting to take home—no experience needed.
What Makes Zhangjiajie's Peaks Feel Like They've Leaped Straight Out of a Classical Chinese Painting?

The story begins in 1979 with a serendipitous discovery by modern master Wu Guanzhong. Almost persuaded to visit an unknown forest park during a Hunan sketching trip, Wu was astounded when the landscape unveiled itself: towering stone pillars shrouded in mist, a scene of wild, rhythmic beauty that seemed the very embodiment of the ancient artistic ideal where nature and brushwork merge into one. He found it even more dramatic and poetic than the famous Guilin.

For Wu, this was not just a view—it was a living ink-wash painting, where peaks and valleys performed a perfect interplay of voids and solids , a lyrical rhythm long cherished in Chinese art. He immediately began working, creating pieces like Mazongling that captured the "beauty in the resemblance and non-resemblance".

His 1980 essay, "An Unknown Virgin Landscape — Zhangjiajie, A Scenic Pearl", became the world's formal introduction to the region—long before Avatar or social media brought it global fame.

It was the profound bond between these unique peaks and the spirit of Chinese landscape painting, revealed through Wu’s brush and writing, that ultimately unveiled Zhangjiajie to the world.

We invite you to join this art-nature dialogue in our hands-on class. Conveniently, our studio is only a five-minute walk from the lower station of the Tianmen Mountain Cableway.

Here’s what to expect:
- A short introduction to the art form: its origins, meaning, and connection to nature
- A live demonstration by your teacher painting classic subjects—bamboo, lotus, or Zhangjiajie’s iconic peaks
- Your turn to try brush techniques and create your own painting on rice paper

To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.

This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.