You may already know about the Songzhuang artist village or Dashanzi's 798. But the Shangyuan Artists Community is different - located in Changping County of Beijing, the community is made up of academic artists who are relatively older and have established their fame in China and abroad.

Unlike the Songzhuang artists (in Tongxian), who are famous for their contemporary and radical artworks, most artists living in Shangyuan are mainstream artists who are either professional painters or former art professors of well-known art colleges. This means many of them are economically better off than their counterparts in Songzhuang who can afford to live in fancier houses with large gardens. Because many of the Shangyuan artists are established artists, they also tend to be older than those in Songzhuang, with many well in their fifties and even sixties.

The village is not public space for everyday visitors. CCC arranges appointments with a handful of famous artists who will allow you into their farmer's home style studios (nice villas and gardens even with peacocks) and discuss modern Chinese art with you.

The artists CCC selected engage in a variety of art forms, from modern oil painting, sculpture (wood, clay and bronze) to other modern styles.

It will be 40-50 minutes' drive from Beijing.