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Cheung Hok-hang

A city of 9.6 million people roughly 130km (80 miles) from Hong Kong, Foshan is full of cultural heritage and culinary delights.
The city is already known for having one of China’s best private art museums. The He Art Museum, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, is owned by the family behind electrical appliance giant Midea and located in Shunde district, on the outskirts of the city.
Alternative cultural attractions such as Art Field Nanhai have popped up in recent years as the local government has revitalised factory areas vacated by shifts in China’s industrial supply chains and an outflow of young people.
Now in its second edition, the art biennial is being hosted in collaboration with Japan’s Echigo-Tsumari Art Field and uses art to encourage people to explore Foshan’s lesser-known villages and nearby islands.

Running until February 12, Art Field Nanhai is spread across 10 locations and it can easily take four to five days to see everything. But for a perfect weekend city break, here is a recommended itinerary that allows you to experience the biennale’s essence in under 48 hours.
Saturday
1. ‘Nanhai 24 Meals’ and Yannan Village
Designed by renowned Chinese artists Song Dong and Yin Xiuzhen, “Nanhai 24 Meals” in Yannan Village sees 11 guests per session enjoy a 12-course meal prepared by a rota of 24 different head chefs of Foshan restaurants.
The experience – available on select days, including most weekends – unfolds in a restored house featuring the artists’ installations, including the tables on which diners eat.
The installations are a continuation of the artist duo’s long-standing project called “The Way of Chopsticks”, which involves art created collaboratively but separately, with the combined outcome only revealed at the end. Guests dine with the chefs, who share stories behind the cuisine.
Dining schedules and reservation details, in Chinese only, can be found on the Guangdong Nanhai Dadi Yishujie official WeChat channel. The price of 298 yuan (US$41) per person includes the 198 yuan festival pass that is required for all visitors.

After lunch you can wander through Yannan Village, a classic Lingnan water town with preserved Qing dynasty architecture. It hosts 12 of the biennale’s exhibitions and public programmes, the highlight being the “Zhaishengji, Chapter Four” project.
For the project, 42 artists have transformed a late Qing dynasty mansion into an immersive treasure hunt. Art is everywhere, often in unexpected places, such as the sculpted tiles underfoot by artist and curator Pang Hailong.
Before leaving, do not miss the Hong Kong-taxi-themed public toilet by the pond.
2. Huang Ji and He Qing villages
A short five-minute drive takes you from Yannan Village to Huang Ji Village, which teems with wildlife. This stunning backdrop hosts 10 exhibitions and numerous public artworks.
Arrive just before sunset and you will be greeted by the spectacle of dozens of white egrets descending to their nests while grey herons take flight for their nocturnal hunts.

This area – a haven for birds since the reign of the Qing dynasty emperor Daoguang (1821–1850) – has inspired many Chinese poets, including Guo Moruo. Adding a whimsical touch, cartoonist Tango created an interactive installation featuring a colossal teapot and a virtual reality video of a white egret sipping tea.
A short walk away lies one of the biennale’s most Instagrammable installations, Kick Back with a Drink. Artist Janie Luo decked out a set of abandoned restaurant buildings with blue plastic crates and long, curving white tables to evoke the image of egrets, serving as a reminder of the importance of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.
Then, take a boat trip (55 yuan return with a festival passport) from Huang Ji to He Qing, a village renowned in Foshan for the prowess of its dragon boat racers. You might catch a view of dragon boat teams training, while one thing you will certainly see is the biennale’s sole river art installation, Surfacing, by the artist Huang Heshan.

Just steps away from the dock, a two-storey house in which silkworms were once raised has been transformed by the UK-based Wu Associates and Mexico-based Sordo Madaleno into a spiritual home honouring the dragon boat tradition and the village’s collective memories.
Sunday
1. Mount Xiqiao
Day two starts with a visit to Mount Xiqiao, birthplace of kung fu legend Wong Fei-hung. The art experience begins the moment you board the cable car to the summit (35 yuan with a festival passport). Artist Wen Na has adorned the windows of all 28 cable car cabins with unique cat illustrations.


2. Pingsha Island
A short drive and ferry from Mount Xiqiao takes you to the tranquil shores of Pingsha Island, which hosts 19 exhibitions and programmes – so try not to get there too late.
Exploring the island is best done by bicycle (available in tandem and quadricycle versions for group outings), or moped. Rentals are readily available just steps from the pier, with prices ranging from 20-60 yuan per day, plus a refundable deposit of 100 yuan.
Your artistic journey should begin with a culinary experience. “A Seaside Restaurant”, a family-run business, has been transformed by the playful touch of artist Liu Qingyuan. His woodcuts and paper cuttings infuse the space with a Mexican beach vibe, incorporating familiar elements of the Pearl River Delta, such as rafts, banana trees and bok choy.

Be sure to savour the local culinary specialities, including Asian clams and fig chicken soup with cordyceps.
Japanese artist Yusuke Asai collected mud from nearby villages to use as pigment for a floor mural installation, A Gift From 500 Million Years, in the island’s former communal canteen. Chat with the exhibition volunteers and they will eagerly share stories of the artist’s interactions with the islanders during his residency, such as how he invited local kindergarten children to help him with the mural, and his new-found appreciation for acupuncture.
Beyond these locally focused projects, the biennale also facilitates international dialogue. For example, an immersive exhibition featuring the work of four Middle Eastern artists, co-curated by Yuz Museum and Qatar Museums, draws parallels between Qatar’s rich history of pearl diving and Pingsha’s farming tradition.
3. Old Market in Taipingxu
Take a ferry from Pingsha Island to Taipingxu (four yuan per person, 50 yuan per vehicle), where a collaborative effort by architects, designers and artists is revitalising the area, blending the old with the new.

Here, art often serves a practical purpose: a light tower designed by architect Ma Yansong, for example, stands in the middle of the local wet market, while signage along the lane is itself art.
One stand-out is the Wen Xing Bakery, a 38-year-old store still producing the local favourite Xi Qiao Big Biscuit.
How to get there from Hong Kong
The most convenient way to reach Mount Xiqiao, where the biennale headquarters is located, is by high-speed railway to Guangzhou South Station, followed by a taxi ride that costs roughly 120 yuan.


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Kick Back with a Drink, by Chinese artist Janie Luo, in Foshan’s Huangji Village, is one of the most Instagrammable installations at Art Field Nanhai, now in its second edition. Photo: Art Field Nanhai

Chinese artists Song Dong and Yin Xiuzhen restored this house in Foshan’s Yannan Village as a continuation of their project “The Ways of Chopsticks” and to host their “Nanhai 24 Meals” event. Photo: Tian Fangfang

Street of Pond Stars, by Toy Resurrection Clinic, is installed in Foshan’s Huang Ji Village as part of Art Field Nanhai. Photo: Cheung Hok-hang

White egrets fly over Huang Ji Village. Photo: Art Field Nanhai

Local dragon boat teams practise in He Qing. Photo: Cheung Hok-hang

A cat illustration by Wen Na can be seen in the cabin of a cable car going up Mount Xiqiao. Photo: Cheung Hok-hang

Miao Miao Temple, by Wen Na, at Mount Xiqiao. Photo: Cheung Hok-hang

“A Seaside Restaurant”, by Liu Qingyuan, on Pingsha Island. Photo: Tian Fangfang

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Just over an hour’s train ride from Hong Kong, Foshan is holding an art biennial that encourages people to explore its villages and islands


Just over an hour’s train ride from Hong Kong, Foshan is holding an art biennial that encourages people to explore its villages and islands.


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Weekend art getaway from Hong Kong to Foshan – a 2-day itinerary for unique event in China

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Just over an hour’s train ride from Hong Kong, Foshan is holding an art biennial that encourages people to explore its villages and islands

Just over an hour’s train ride from Hong Kong, Foshan is holding an art biennial that encourages people to explore its villages and islands