The northern extension of the central axis is hidden in a valley at the junction of mountains and plains, 50 kilometers north of downtown Beijing. Standing on the ridge of the Yanshan Mountains, you can see the whole city unfolding like a picture. Clear streams run into the Taoyukou reservoir, and the calm lake reflects the shadow of the sky. To the south of the reservoir, the Jingmi Diversion Canal is rippling with green waves and the Qintunhe River is swaying with red flowers. Xiyuan Village, Xingshou Town, Changping District lies in the intersection of the two waterways, with red bricks and gray tiles in the woods. In this quiet little village, art and life intertwine, city and country collide, man and nature coexist in harmony.

After the demolition of the Old Summer Palace Painters' Village in the 1990s, artists in Beijing began to seek new settlements. Some come to Songzhuang, Tongzhou, and others come to Changping. In 1995, photographer Wang Jianzhong came to live in this small village after discovering it while walking on the outskirts of Beijing. A year later, Wang Huaxiang, a teacher from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, also came here and opened the "Enclave Art Workshop". Later, a large number of well-known artists also moved into the village. Qian Shaowu inscribed "Xiayuan Artist Village" stone tablet, and it has become the symbol of Xiayuan Village.

The arrival of old artists also attracts young artists to study and live here. After more than 20 years of development, there are more than 80 artists living in Xiayuan Village, and an artist district has been formed with Xiayuan Village as the center, including Shangyuan Village, Qinjiatun Village, Taoyukou Village, Dongxincheng Village, Xxincheng Village, Xinzhuang Village and other places, with a total of more than 200 artists living in this area.

Translator: WANG Yiwen

Reviewer: ZHANG Ruochen