Marking the 55th anniversary of China-Belgium diplomatic relations, the Shanghai Jinshan District presents Pastoral Shanghai: Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage Painting Exhibition at the China Cultural Center in Brussels.

What is Jinshan farmer painting? Located at the junction of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai — a region traditionally known in China as the "crossroads of Wu and Yue" — Jinshan District is regarded as the "Hometown of Chinese Farmer Paintings." The art form is rooted in the rustic craftsmanship of an age-old agricultural culture, which farmer-artists have shaped into a simple yet singular pictorial language, deeply infused with Jiangnan culture and imagination.

Bold in composition and vivid in colour, the works draw on embroidery, paper-cutting, weaving, wood and brick carving, lacquer painting and traditional kitchen-stove murals to portray rural labour, festive customs, family life and contemporary Shanghai. Listed on Shanghai's Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection register since 2007, the art form was first shown at the National Art Museum of China in 1980, then travelled the same year to an international fair in Brussels, where it was praised as one of the finest examples of Chinese folk art. It has since toured Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka, Sydney and The Hague. 46 years after its first visit, it now returns to Brussels.

Featuring over 30 works, the exhibition reflects the sustained efforts of Jinshan District to safeguard and pass on this living heritage, deeply rooted in the region's folklore and agricultural traditions. Through this ongoing transmission, the exhibition echoes the spirit of European Heritage Days, in dialogue with the 2026 theme "Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine."

📅 11–23 September 2026
📍 China Cultural Center in Brussels — Rue Philippe Le Bon 2, 1000 Brussels
🕐 Monday to Friday, 9:30am – 6pm (closed on weekends)
🎟️ Free admission

Co-hosted by Shanghai Jinshan District People's Government, Jiefang Daily and the China Cultural Center in Brussels, with guidance from the Information Office of Shanghai Municipality and Shanghai United Media Group.