Farmers in Linxi county work hard in the field all year round to reap the benefits of a good harvest, but one might never guess their hobbies after work include art and blogging.

A few days ago, a painting and calligraphy hobbyist came to Liu Qiwei, a farmer and painter from Dikou village, Linxi county, and offered to pay a large sum for Liu’s painting “The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea.” But Liu refused and told him, “My paintings are only given as presents.” Liu also told a reporter, “I paint because I love it. Money is not the most important thing to me.”

Liu started to learn Gongbi, a careful realistic technique in Chinese painting, at his 70th birthday. He drew 400 Gongbi portraits, including some portraits of classical ladies, which have been compiled into various collections. His work was part of the “Collection of Best Paintings and Calligraphy Works at the 60th Birthday of the PRC” and the “Collection of the Best Paintings and Calligraphy Works in Shandong and Hebei.”

Liu loves imparting his skills to those fond of Gongbi. Liu said from the bottom of his heart, “I will never feel regret if I can teach more students and pass on the skills of Gongbi.”

When you mention Wang Xianting, a farmer in Tianzhuang village, every villager nearby knows his name. Wang is well known for writing about his daily life. His works are powerful documents and were published by some provincial and municipal newspapers and magazines. “My aim is to praise the good and criticize the bad through my writing,” Wang said.

Li Guiliang from Danger village opened his own news blog. The blog is now a necessary part of his daily routine. Besides his own experiences and emotions, Li also publishes local agricultural information peppered with his personal remarks. Li notes that he collects information from fairs and markets to ensure the news is practical and focused.