Dafen Village: China’s Leading Base for Oil Painting Production and Export

Dafen Oil Painting Village is located in Longgang District, Shenzhen. It is a representative hub of China’s cultural and creative industry and one of Shenzhen’s most distinctive urban cultural landmarks. It is also an internationally renowned base for oil painting production and export.

In the early 1990s, with the arrival of Hong Kong painter Huang Jiang and a group of early oil painting merchants and artists, Dafen Village began its development by producing and exporting hand-painted oil painting replicas. After years of growth, it gradually formed a complete industrial chain and market network, becoming known as “the world’s largest oil painting production base.” At its peak, Dafen contributed over 70% of the global oil painting market share, with more than 60% of its products exported. Oil paintings from Dafen have reached over 100 countries and regions, including Europe, America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

As an art production community born and developed during China’s period of reform and opening up, Dafen has always been closely tied to changes in national policies and economic structures. In 2007, the Ministry of Culture officially named Dafen as the “National Cultural Industry Demonstration Base.” In 2018, Shenzhen launched a pilot reform of its cultural system, choosing Dafen Village as a key site to explore the “Dafen Model,” focusing on mechanisms for integrating public cultural services, art industry development, and community management.

With strong policy support from both central and local governments, Dafen has embarked on a path of transformation from “mass production” to “original creation,” and from “industrial cluster” to “cultural brand.” The village has introduced and cultivated a large number of professional artists, art institutions, and cultural enterprises. It now integrates oil painting creation, art training, e-commerce, exhibitions, and tourism, forming a new cultural ecosystem.

As a window into China’s soft power and cultural exports, Dafen actively participates in national and international art exhibitions and cultural exchange events. It also promotes cross-border e-commerce, encouraging artists to expand into overseas markets through platforms like Alibaba and Amazon.

Dafen Oil Painting Village today is not only a vibrant base for artistic creation and entrepreneurship but also a cultural destination that attracts millions of domestic and international tourists every year. With art as its medium and culture as its soul, Dafen continues to innovate and grow, contributing to the construction of a culturally strong and creative China.