Talented farmers start own calligraphy business (1/3)

Li Fachang, a calligraphy and painting artist who used to be a farmer from Tongwei County, works at his gallery in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, Dec. 19, 2011. Tongwei County of Gansu Province is a place popular for local calligraphic works. More than 3,500 residents in Tongwei, most of them farmers, practise Chinese calligraphy at present in Tongwei. Some of them opened galleries in bigger cities including Lanzhou. In recent years, as government of the county organized exchange meetings, exhibitions and fairs to encourage talented farmers who love calligraphy to start their own business. It is estimated that the overall trade of calligraphic works in Tongwei stands at 50 million yuan (about 7.9 million dollars) every year. (Xinhua/Nie Jianjiang)