The oldest art guide in Beijing's 798 Art Zone

"My name is Chen Shaoqin, and I'm 71 years old. Before I came here, I was a housewife faced with daily household chores every morning, but now I'm glad to immerse myself as a volunteer museum narrator," Chen said as she introduced herself to an audience at Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) located in the 798 Art Zone in Beijing, China.

She's been asked several times after giving tours whether she is a retired art history professor.

Despite having only a high school diploma and knowing little about the art world for most of her life, Chen is one of the most popular narrators today at UCCA, where most art guides have formal academic backgrounds.

"My daily chores are about survival, but art mirrors my spiritual life," she told CGTN.

It's never too late to start

"Actually, I'm missing a lot of qualifications. I don't have the educational background, the diplomas, the looks, or good Mandarin-speaking abilities," she said. "However, these beautiful artworks have shown me a different world. There is so much unspeakable beauty in this world."

For Chen, the greatest source of inspiration comes from learning about Chinese artists who gained recognition late in life. "Their achievements taught me that it is never too late to start a new career," she said.

In 2008, Chen moved up to Beijing from Xiamen in southeastern China to help take care of her granddaughter. Every afternoon, after picking up the two-year-old from the kindergarten, Chen would wander into the 798 Art Zone, a factory district turned hip creative space that has become one of the most popular art destinations in Beijing.

"This was my first real exposure to the art world," she said.

Before coming to Beijing, she learned about art only by watching documentaries. In 2010, having been enticed by the three red dinosaurs displayed at the entrance, she walked into UCCA and paid 500 yuan ($72.82) to become a member after reading the brochure.

In her sixth year of membership at age 67, she received an invitation to become a UCCA tour guide and embarked on a new journey in the art world.

Chen was one of the narrators last November when an exhibition called "Maurizio Cattelan: The Last Judgment" was held at UCCA.  

"Nothing scares controversial Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, who intrudes and mocks the art world as an outsider," Chen said. "Self-taught as a contemporary artist, Cattelan keeps inspiring the art world by maximizing his energetic potential."

Over the past four years, she would arrive 30 minutes before every tour with a bilingual list of relevant vocabulary in Chinese and English. In addition to the exhibit information, she also has extensive notes and analogies from her daily reading.

Chen's densely-written folder thickens considerably by the end of an exhibition. "I like to add new annotations and revelations into the folder from my daily learning and thoughts," she said.

By reading a flurry of literature about the life and ideas of the artists, Chen can always say something fresh.

She may be the oldest guide with more than 3,000 hours of experience, but her energetic and lyrical style has captivated audiences.

"Art has brought me into contact with outlooks on the world and introduced me to a vast range of truly differing perceptions, ideas and knowledge," she said.

A journey of self-discovery

To Chen, being a narrator is a journey of self-discovery because artists' stories often resonate deeply with her.

"The average female life expectancy is now around 80 in China. Thus, for elderly people like me who retired at 55 or 60, why not keep our spirit vibrant? I am still young," she said.

Chen also works at Yi Zhan, an independent art gallery selling and promoting contemporary Chinese painters such as Ding Tianque, who was born in 1916 and was jailed twice.

"To survive is to win, and then I can desire for freedom," Ding said in describing his life to his students at age 95.

"Art gave him unwavering strength and faith to get through his difficult times," Chen said when introducing Ding on tour. This mirrors her own philosophy of life. By 2020, a family dispute pushed her to move out of the 3-bedroom apartment she had lived in since moving to Beijing.

To keep herself occupied, she rented a small apartment close to the 798 Art Zone and began devoting most of her time and energy to learning about the world of art. As Chen can no longer visit her granddaughter, art has become her sole passion.

"Unlike younger volunteers who must spend time at school or jobs, I can put all my focus on being an art guide," she said.

With her 4,000 yuan ($630) pension and less than 2,000 yuan ($315) in income from her other part-time job, life has been challenging.

"As long as we have love and courage to pursue, we are still young," she said.

In her fourth year at UCCA, Chen has proven her value as an art guide. She now narrates at pre-exhibits for auctions and live-streams on a Chinese art auction app named Art-pro, providing her with an extra 3,000 yuan (($473) per session.

Along with 40 other artists and curators, she became part of a team selecting the 20 most influential artists of the year on Hi-art, a leading online art magazine in China.

Her granddaughter supports Chen's pursuits, posting favorable comments or likes on her social media accounts.

"As long as there are things to love and things to pursue, that is a good thing to keep you young and energized. Whatever you like, stick to it and life will be richer and interesting," she said.