Art lovers across China are flocking to Kunming, Yunnan Province after a local gallery announced that visitors will be able to purchase original works of calligraphy for as little as one tenth of the normal price.

The man behind this jaw-dropping offer is Tang Mingquan, a local artist turned gallery owner who is also a member of the Chinese Calligraphy Association.

Tang has dedicated his life to popularizing the traditional art form, and in Aug 2015 he finally realized his dream of owning his own gallery when the Tang Museum of Art opened its doors in Wuhua district.

However, Tang’s ambitions did not stop there. Over the last year, his gallery has hosted exhibitions by several famous calligraphers and painters, and Tang had the opportunity to discuss with them how to make calligraphy more accessible, particularly to young people with low incomes.

Eventually, Tang developed the idea of a "contract artist" system, where artists offer special prices to visitors to his gallery, and he succeeded in convincing nearly 100 members of the Chinese Calligraphy Assocation to sign up to the scheme.

Tang announced the new offer during the opening of a free exhibition to celebrate the first anniversary of the founding of his gallery on Aug 28.

Thanks to his hard work, visitors to the Tang Museum of Art will now be able to buy and commission original works of calligraphy for just 300-400 yuan per square foot, far below the market price of around 1,500-3,000 yuan.

But, true to form, Tang has no intention of resting on his laurels. He already has plans to build an art street full of small galleries and art stores, as well as a modern auction center and a larger exhibition space.