Five-meter painting records old Changchun

A pyrographic work on Chinese art paper depicting Changchun's old architecture and landscapes from 1960s to 1980s was recently put on public display.

The five-meter long and 0.3-meter wide art work was created by Changchun native Yang Zhongzhi.

The Renmin Square (People's Square), the center of Changchun, is shown in the middle of the work. [Photo/Changchun Daily]

The piece has helped people, particularly those who have been living in Changchun for many years, recall precious memories of the old buildings, public transportation and unique folk games children played in the streets.

The names of many places have changed and snacks popular dozens of years ago have disappeared.

Renmin Street used to be called "Stalin Street" and plum or bean-flavored popsicles only cost 0.05 yuan at that time.

Yang said he will never forget the old days of growing up in Hutongs or the beautiful scenery of his hometown.

Every detail helps people recall the old days they spent in Changchun. [Photo/Changchun Daily]

"One of the reasons Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival, a painting by Zhang Zeduan of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), has been popular for so many years is because it vividly describes the daily life of people at that time. No matter how many years have passed, we can still see the prosperous street of thousands of years ago through his drawing," Yang said.

"Enlightened by this painting, I decided to create my own scene for Changchun."

Yang Zhongzhi and his Changchun Memory painting. [Photo/Changchun Daily]

Yang stressed that he wished to record the unique Changchun scenery with his art to help the younger generations learn about the city.

Yang graduated from Jilin College of the Arts and has been working as an artist ever since. He started to explore pyrography in 2000 and has formed his own style.