A pop-up haven for expression

'Sand city' in Hebei province provides artists with 300 hours each year to unleash their creativity, Cheng Yuezhu reports.

For more than 40 years, Shang Xiuhua from Anshan, Liaoning province, worked as a doctor — first at a high school, then at a health clinic. But at the age of 75, she began a second act: drawing cats.

Her feline subjects come in a range of styles and moods. Some are realistic portrayals of various breeds; others are whimsical or personified — practicing kung fu, or sitting at a table reading a book.

Her artistic journey began on an ordinary day in 2014, when her daughter doodled a cat. Unimpressed, Shang decided to try drawing one herself — and found it to be an enjoyable pastime.