'Sand city' in Hebei province provides artists with 300 hours each year to unleash their creativity, Cheng Yuezhu reports.

For more than 40 years, Shang Xiuhua from Anshan, Liaoning province, worked as a doctor — first at a high school, then at a health clinic. But at the age of 75, she began a second act: drawing cats.

Her feline subjects come in a range of styles and moods. Some are realistic portrayals of various breeds; others are whimsical or personified — practicing kung fu, or sitting at a table reading a book.

Her artistic journey began on an ordinary day in 2014, when her daughter doodled a cat. Unimpressed, Shang decided to try drawing one herself — and found it to be an enjoyable pastime.

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Her daughter and son, both cat lovers, encouraged her to keep going, seeing it as a creative outlet during retirement. Her daughter began posting the sketches on social media, where they quickly earned praise.

"I only learned what 'likes' and 'fans' meant after I started painting," Shang says. "I didn't get it at first, but I know now they're forms of recognition. I'm a child at heart — encouragement keeps me going."

Though she has no formal art training, Shang has steadily refined her technique. What started as simple black-and-white sketches evolved into full-color, large-scale works.

Now 86, she has drawn a total of more than 3,000 cats, and she says that not two of their postures are exactly the same. Her publication, Mao Shuo (Cat Says), is included in the collection of the Capital Library of China in Beijing.

Through her work, Shang hopes to spread joy. Many of her drawings are paired with humorous or cheerful phrases meant to bring smiles. Inspired by her grandsons' nicknames, Doudou and Lele, she gave herself the art name "Grandma Doule" — a playful twist that means "to amuse" in Chinese.

"I'm retired and have lots of time. Painting fills my life with meaning. I don't have grand ambitions — if others are happy, I'm happy too," she says.

This year, her cheerful energy reached an even wider audience thanks to Migratory Birds 300, part of the 5th Aranya Theater Festival held from June 19 to 29.

Shang was given a space to exhibit her cat drawings at the festival, including a long scroll featuring 250 cats. She also created live works on site during the event.

Each year, the initiative provides about 300 artists of diverse genres with a platform to display their works, create on-site, and collaborate with other artists. They gather at the "sand city", a complex that only exists for 300 hours each year on the beach of Qinhuangdao, Hebei province.

"In the sand city, we want people to slow down, explore each corner, and take it all in. It's not about polished galleries — it's about giving artists a space to create and connect," says Liu Chang, the artistic director of Migratory Birds 300.

According to him, the idea is that even in the most modest places, it is possible to create something meaningful. Within 300 hours, the artists are encouraged to experiment and create while visitors stroll through, finding their own connections with the artworks.

This year's sand city, codesigned by architect Ma Yansong and poet Xi Chuan, was built entirely from recyclable materials for the first time. The modular structures were made from steel scaffolding and polyester fabric recycled from plastic bottles.

After the city was dismantled, the materials were repurposed — reflecting the project's commitment to sustainability.

One of the most striking installations stood by the beach near the entrance to the sand city: a towering silver cartoon figure curled up in a pool and hugging her knees, with water cascading over her.

Created by 15-year-old Dou Zijia, the piece reflects her personal experience with psoriasis — a skin condition she's lived with for eight years, which forced her to take a year off from school.

The seawater shower leaves salt deposits on the figure's surface, mimicking flaky skin. The concept, Zijia says, is that viewers are encouraged to scrape off the salt residue using their fingers or the shells they find on the beach, a metaphor for healing.

"I have faced a lot of doubts and stares. I wanted to create this work to help people understand psoriasis patients and reduce prejudice," she says.

Beside the installation, she placed a cardboard sign that welcomed viewers to connect with her on social media and leave comments.

"I read the comments where people say they've learned something about the disease or leave words of comfort, and I feel all of this is worth it," she adds.

The festival's artists were selected by an artistic committee. In just 17 days, the call for entries received nearly 2,500 applications from artists, who submitted 650 sets of artworks or projects.

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In total, more than 127 sets of artworks were showcased, ranging from paintings and photographs to installations and floats, and over 165 performances, including short plays, performance art and stand-up. Other activities included film screenings, script reading sessions and cultural merchandise markets.

"From a 15-year-old to an 87-year-old artist, I have seen creativity and curiosity for life across ages, backgrounds and mediums of expression. None of those things matter — what matters is the desire to express, and the ability to feel deeply," Liu says.

Contact the writer at chengyuezhu@chinadaily.com.cn