A vibrant art area located in Baotou in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, is now gaining increasing recognition as the leading venue for folk artists in the city.

The area was previously a conventional village called Dongdagou village. Now, however, is has turned into the most popular art display and creative area -- and has been renamed Dongdashan Art Area.

The precinct boasts a contemporary art museum, folk art museum, a research institute focusing on the influence of deer on Baotou’s culture -- Baotou is known as Lucheng, literally “a city with deer” -- and artist studios.

In 2007, local artist Liu Zhanqiang led the planning and construction of an art area covering an area of 85 acres in Dongdagou village, in Xingsheng town.

Later, sculptor Guo Qipeng, folk art artist Wang Hongchuan and print artists Wang Haiyan and Liu Zhanqiang set up their own studios there to work together.

Now the art area is known to many as Baotou’s “palace of art.” In recent years, with the support from the CPC Jiuyuan district committee and district government, it has become the primary gathering place for Baotou city’s cultural and creative industries.

To date, the Literature and Arts Association of Baotou, the Baotou Women's Federation, Baotou Vocational and Technical College and other bodies have set up activities centers for voluntary cultural services and training in handicrafts in the art area.

Two dough modeling studios and one traditional Chinese medicine experience hall have been built in Dongdashan.

A total of 16 local artists have set up studios and organized creative activities in the area, including sculptor Guo Qipeng, folk art artist Wang Hongchuan, printmaker Wang Haiyan, oil painter Li Yongjun, watercolorist Ding Xiaohui and ceramicist Li Ping.