The joyful atmosphere of Xiaying – Winnie the Pooh Mural Village

Text & Photos / Keavy Loves Qitao
 
I took my dad back to his hometown of Xiaying to catch up with relatives we hadn’t seen in ages. While chatting and reminiscing, during a lull in the elders’ happy conversation, I mentioned my interest in the nearby Winnie the Pooh Mural Village. Not wanting to rob my dad and the relatives of their reunion time, but also not wanting to give up on my own desire to see the mural village, I simply said hello and went to visit on my own. Now, follow my photographic eye

The Winnie the Pooh Mural Village centers around Winnie the Pooh, whose round shape is extremely cute and whose vibrant colors bring life to an old village that was gradually being forgotten. The whole place becomes youthful and full of energy, which has also revitalized “A Ying Village.”

Although in recent years there has been a wave of mural villages, A Ying’s Winnie the Pooh Mural Village doesn’t just copy cartoon images. The local youths who painted these Winnie the Pooh murals aim to promote Xiaying’s local culture and hope more people get to know their hometown. They’ve incorporated locally distinctive ideas into the Winnie the Pooh murals, such as:

The historic “Wen Gui Hospital,” the first public hospital in the Xiaying area, was built in 1926 but demolished in 2010. Therefore, a mural was painted in its memory.