79-year-old Chinese man creates over 3,000 eggshell paintings for Peking opera

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As a genuine fan of the Peking opera, Fei Yongquan has his own way of paying tribute to one of China's national treasures. The 79-year-old has been painting Peking opera masks on eggshells for the last 13 years and is known for the intricate art pieces.

Born in Zhejiang Province in east China, Fei Yongquan has been fascinated with Peking opera since he was a child. After retiring in 2000, Fei spent much of his time watching and singing operas in theaters with friends and soon discovered he could take his love of the art to a new level by painting the masks.

Fei Yongquan showcases his paintings on eggshells. /VCG Photo

The facial mask used in the Peking opera is called "Lianpu" in Chinese. Lianpu is the colorful dressing on the performer's faces, as a way to identify and understand their roles in plays.

Although Fei Yongquan has gained fame after being featured by the mainstream media in China, he has never tried to sell the art for profit. Instead, he chooses to give them away to people who really love the art of painting on eggshells.

Fei Yongquan's paintings of Peking opera masks on eggshells. /VCG Photo

Now, Fei's living room has turned into a museum filled with exquisite Chinese traditional crafts. He sees the creations of painted eggshells as priceless. His artwork is not only limited to the Peking opera, but also features a broad range of designs, such as the characters in ancient Chinese novels and Disney classics, and Chinese zodiac animals.

For Fei Yongquan, painting on eggshells has given his life a sense of meaning, and he hopes to pass down Chinese cultural quintessence of Peking opera.

"I painted on eggshells hoping to promote our traditional opera culture. As long as my health condition is okay, I will continue to work on it," Fei told reporters.

Fei Yongquan paints Disney characters on eggshells. /VCG Photo