Located
in Dafen Community, Buji Sub-District, Longgang District,
Shenzhen City, Dafen Oil Painting Village has attracted more than
1200 galleries of various sizes, more than 60 famous companies, and about 8000
workers in the oil painting business in the core area of only about 0.4 square
kilometers. Moreover, totally there are about 20000 workers in the business if
the surrounding communities are included.
The galleries and
companies in Dafenare mainly engaged in the production and trading of oil
paintings and relevant items. They also produce and trade traditional Chinese
cultural items, such as traditional Chinese paintings, calligraphic works, seal
cuttings, embroideries, etc. , as well as other art works, such as art crafts
and abstract art items.
As the National
Demonstration Base of Cultural Industry, Dafen Oil Painting Village
is one of the first in its kind in the country, and the first one at the
national level in Shenzhen City. It is the forerunner as the ICIF branch, and
moreover, it keeps the record of the most times of hosting ICIF (Shenzhen International Cultural Industry Fair) branches. Since 2004, the village has
received more than 3000 Chinese and foreign visiting groups. More than 10 top
CPC or national leaders have visited the village, including
Wu Bangguo, Zeng Qinghong, Li Changchun, Liu Yunshan, and
Wu Yi.
Dafen is known as
the First Oil Painting Village in China, because it is not only the largest
base for production and trading of commercial oil paintings, but also an
important global trading center of oil paintings. According to statistic data,
70% commercial paintings in European and American markets come from China, and
among them, 80% are imported from Dafen. As the end of
2014, Dafen realized an annual output of RMB 4.2 billion yuan,
and domestic sales and export accounts for 50% respectively.
World famous media
have reported Dafen Oil Painting Village for many times, including
New York Times, BBC, Financial Times, Sky News, and NHK. On May 1st,
2010, Dafen was recommended by Shenzhen City to participate in
Shanghai World Expo as the case of the Urban Best Practice Area, where
the Monalisa art installation built by 507 Dafen art
workers made a gorgeous debut.
Dafen today, is
not only for oil paintings, but also for a colorful variety of arts. Various
kinds of artistic forms co-exist in the Village harmoniously. And a complete
and vigorous industrial chain has developed in the place, such as the art
derivatives development as well as the supporting services of painting
mounting, frame installation, painting materials, logistics, etc.