An aerial view of Qingshan village in Baotou [Photo/Inner Mongolia Daily]

Qingshan village in Baotou – in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region – has gained popularity with photographers, with fresh and creative paintings on its exterior walls giving it a new and exciting look, reports Inner Mongolia Daily.

The paintings were created by artists and students from the School of Fine Arts at the Baotou Teachers' College recently, during the first Shiguai District Qingshan Impression Mural Graffiti Contest.

The aim was to revamp the tourism industry in Shiguai district and promote Qingshan as the first mural art village in Inner Mongolia. Colorful paintings on the walls in Qingshan village give it a fresh, dramatic look. [Photo/Inner Mongolia Daily]

Qingshan village is located in the hinterland of the southern slopes of Daqing Mountain, with dense forests and beautiful scenery.

There are distinctive residential buildings, dozens of stone houses and nearly 100 well-preserved residential courtyards. It has been widely remarked upon that it is an ideal place for painting and rural tourism. 

Tourists pose for pictures in front of the painted walls. [Photo/Inner Mongolia Daily]

Currently, the village can receive 300 tourists on a daily basis. Five more bed & breakfast facilities will be developed this year and by the end of the current year, the village will be able to receive 500 tourists daily.

By then, the collective annual income of the village is expected to hit 100,000 yuan ($15,450). 

A student from the School of Fine Arts creates a painting on one of the walls. [Photo/Inner Mongolia Daily]