The Former Residence of Qi Baishi (1863-1957), an influential Chinese artist, is located at Kuache Hutong inside Picai Hutong in Xicheng District.

The renowned artist kept many mundane crops in his own garden when he was alive, such as towel-gourd, peanuts, pumpkins, grapes and morning glory. His famous works "Towel-Gourd and a Bee," "Grapes and a Dragonfly," all take inspiration from the yard. There are three main rooms and a video that introduce his paintings which are enjoyable even if you do not understand Chinese.

Qi Baishi, originally called Qi Chunzhi, is noted for the whimsical, often playful style of his watercolor works. He became a carpenter at 14, and learned to paint by himself. At the age of 27, he started to learn how to paint and write poems. In 1956, the World Peace Council awarded him its international Peace Award. In 1963, he was included on a list of “World Cultural Celebrities”.

The subjects of his paintings include almost everything, common animals, scenery, figures, toys, vegetables, and so on. In his later years, many of his works depicted mice, shrimp or birds. Combining traditional freehand brushwork and folk art, he produced a unique art form centering on flowers, birds, insects, and fish.

Address: No.13 Kuache Hutong, Xicheng District, Beijing

Opening time: 5:00-22:00

Ticket: Free