Fifteen years ago, Cao met ceramicist and professor Dai Yuxuan from China Academy of Art. Dai invited Cao to work with him and took him from his birthplace Nanchang, capital city of Jiangxi Province, to Hangzhou.

Cao then settled in the city and never went back. He says his life is nothing but pottery. He seldom walks out of his art studio.

Ceramicist Cao Jingen's designs range from vibrant tea sets to statues harking back to the traditions of the nation's formative years.

He sleeps in a small room in his studio and even built a tiny kitchen there. "I like making pottery. I feel peaceful when working," Cao says.

The two-story building is filled with his work pieces which range from flower vases and teapots to Chairman Mao's statue and figures of ancient beauties.

Before moving into the art zone, Cao worked in the city-famed Qingteng Teahouse in the busiest street, Yan'an Road. All the teapots, cups, sculptures and statues showcased there are Cao's works.

"But I prefer working here, because it's quieter and better for creation," he says.

Many artists like Cao chose the art zone for its peaceful environment. The Golden Leaf Studio hidden in a small corner is hard to find. Stepping into the room is like flashing back to the days of yore.

The studio is neatly arrayed with relics of the early 1980s, such as a collection of the classic white Huili sports shoes, printed handkerchiefs, aluminum lunch boxes, cassette recorders and old-fashioned thermos flasks.

"This place is good for nostalgia. Just take a casual and carefree walk in the studio, and you may find the inner peace that is rare in the nosiy metropolis," says the studio's director Eric Fang.

Sweet Peach Cafe might be the busiest place in the whole art zone. The restaurant is always filled with passionate young artists from 9am to midnight.

The manager Ji Yadi, a 30-year-old, has decorated the bistro with a strong flavor of Southeast Asia with a wide range of antiques that he collected from India and Malaysia.

The cafe's menu is filled with popular favorites, ranging from Italian spaghetti and pizzas to English tea and American hamburgers. "What to eat is not the most important here," he says. "It's a little cute place for young people to meet with new friends and come up with fresh new ideas."