Giant mural featuring Chinese blockbuster 'Ne Zha 2' attracts thousands to village in E China's Shandong

As Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" shatters box office records, a giant mural inspired by the movie — measuring 10 meters high and 8 meters wide — has become a popular photo spot, attracting over a thousand visitors to Shenjiacun village, Zhoucun district, Zibo city, east China's Shandong Province.

Shen Jingyu creates a giant mural featuring Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" on a wall in Shenjiacun village, Zhoucun district, Zibo city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo/CCTV News)

The mural, covering an 80-square-meter wall, shows a vivid depiction of the leading character Ne Zha. In the painting, Ne Zha holds his iconic fire-tipped spear named Huojianqiang in his right hand, with a red sash named Huntian Ling, another of his trademark weapons, swirling around his arms. Dragons soar in the background, with Ne Zha's good friend Ao Bing and a younger version of Ne Zha standing on either side.

Shen Jingyu creates a giant mural featuring Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" on a wall in Shenjiacun village, Zhoucun district, Zibo city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo/CCTV News)

The imposing mural has captured the attention of more and more people since the just-concluded Spring Festival holiday, with a cumulative total of over 1,000 people visiting the spot and taking photos with the painting.

The sensational artwork was created by a post-90s local artist named Shen Jingyu.

Impressed by the popular 2019 animated film "Ne Zha", especially its famous line "I am the master of my own destiny," Shen was motivated to create the mural as a tribute to the film ahead of the 2025 release of its sequel, as well as to add to the festive atmosphere of his hometown.

"As a young person, I want to change my life through hard work, much like Ne Zha," he said.

Photo shows a giant mural featuring Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" created by Shen Jingyu, on a wall in Shenjiacun village, Zhoucun district, Zibo city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo/CCTV News)

The mural, which took seven days to complete, is just one of many that Shen has created to beautify his village over the years.

In recent years, Shen has created murals during the Spring Festival holiday every year for his hometown, depicting everything from zodiac animals to mascots of the Olympic Games and beloved characters from popular animated cartoons.

This combo photo shows murals featuring Gods of Wealth and dragons, respectively, created by Shen Jingyu, on a wall in Shenjiacun village, Zhoucun district, Zibo city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo/CCTV News)

His creativity has also extended beyond murals—he has crafted micro-sculptures, including intricate designs carved into pencil tips, and has a great passion for clay sculpture and paper-cutting.

Shen's works have earned him a reputation as "a great painter" in the eyes of his fellow villagers, with local children eager to watch him paint and learn his techniques.

So far, he has taken on many "little apprentices." "I teach them basic painting skills, assign simple tasks, and provide targeted feedback," he said.

This combo photo shows murals featuring the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games mascot Bing Dwen Dwen and beloved characters from the popular Chinese animated cartoon "Boonie Bears", respectively. The murals were created by Shen Jingyu on a wall in Shenjiacun village, Zhoucun district, Zibo city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo/CCTV News)

"Artistic creation has always been my greatest passion, and I hope my work can bring more joyful surprises to my hometown and fellow villagers," Shen noted.

As more and more visitors flock to Shenjiacun village to admire Shen's murals, the village plans to create a special street of murals, in a bid to incorporate Shen's art into the fabric of the village's rural revitalization efforts to attract more visitors.

The project will feature murals along three main roads, with themes of patriotism, nostalgia, and cartoons, aimed at attracting tourists and deepening their understanding of the village, according to Shen.

Photo shows a huge picture showing two dragons playing with a pearl. Shen Jingyu spent 5 hours walking over 30,000 steps on the snow-covered ground to create the picture. (Photo/CCTV News)

Shen and his fellow villagers are all excited about the project. Shen said he will begin the work when the weather warms up.

"When I paint, I feel pure happiness. I hope more people will experience the beauty of art," he said.

This combo photo shows the front and back of a micro-sculpture on a pencil tip created by Shen Jingyu. This intricate sculpture features elements of China's aerospace industry. (Photo/CCTV News)