A video showing a man painting fans in Xi’an, capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi province, has recently gone viral.

Yan Zhuang, the artist in question, has dedicated the last 11 years to fan painting in Shuyuanmen, an ancient cultural street in Xi’an.

He first took on the business after one of his customers claimed that a drawing he bought from Yan was machine made.

Since then, Yan has painted fans in public, which has earned him recognition in his local community.

The skill requires a well-thought-out design and attention to detail to paint the tiny fans in front of a live audience.

“It is strange that his hair and mustache have turned grey, but his eyes sparkle with youth,” said one onlooker.

Though he enjoys fame in his local community, Yan says that fame comes and goes, and an artisan should learn how to live with loneliness.

He has even refused buyers who offered enormous sums of money for his collection, saying he was not a businessman and wishes to continue fan painting every day.

As someone on the Internet began to imitate his work, Yan realized that he should improve and develop using innovative methods. Now, he tries a new painting method every two weeks.

When asked about his plans for the future, Yan said he wanted to have a gallery show or his own painting album. He also decided to continue fan painting on the street to bring art into the daily lives of more people.   (Photo/Chinanews.com)