Old Beijinger paints courtyard houses with pen and ink

As time went by, Grandpa Zheng began to realize that he would not be able to paint the city fast enough before roaring bulldozers rapidly transform the city. So, in order to paint the courtyard houses or “siheyuans” (courtyards surrounded by four buildings on all sides) accurately, he bought a digital camera and a digital camcorder.

For health reasons, Grandpa Zheng seldom works on  large-sized paintings now. The few large-sized  paintings he did before have therefore become  extremely valuable.

Grandpa Zheng has set his foot on three of the  four districts in central Beijing. He rides his  bike when he feels physically fit, and takes a  bus or just walks when he does not.

People often come to visit him out of respect. Some  come to learn, some to compare notes, and others  in hopes of finding their old houses through Zheng's  paintings.