Artistic landscape

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A group of volunteers, including Duan Hongfang (standing first right), contribute their time and skills to a local renovation project. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Clear self-cognition

Wang Yafei, an assistant teacher at Antai, initially hesitated about continuing to paint after she spent four years studying art at Nantong University in Jiangsu province.

"I had grown so accustomed to focusing on technique rather than expressing my own feelings in my paintings, that my work ended up lacking originality," says the 29-year-old, referring to her previous over-reliance on her teachers' guidance.

But after studying at Antai for a year, her mindset has changed. The lessons there have encouraged her to focus on her own psyche as a channel for her creativity, rather than relying on external influences for inspiration.

"Focusing on my inner self. That's what I've learned here," says Wang. She has also begun to apply the philosophy toward her art to her personal life.

Wang says she had nearly succumbed to pressure to get married in the past because she was not emotionally independent enough to face up to other people's "good intentions".

"I won't be swayed by other people's words any more, as I've discovered my life's passion here," she says.

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