WANG KAIHAO/CHINA DAILY

Anna Novikova, 26, a Russian who works in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, was hooked by the painting center when she was in Shangri-La in August. She returned a month later and has been learning thangka from Kelsang Dawa since then.

"All those paintings give me a lot of positive energy," she says. "And they represent very interesting philosophy. It is usually just fun stuff for foreigners, but this time I really feel I am a local here."

An exhibition featuring 80 pieces of contemporary thangka from Kelsang Dawa's painting center is to be shown in the Cultural Palace of Nationalities in Beijing soon.

"It's a privilege to be recognized by national-level institutions," he says.

Contact the writers through wangkaihao@chinadaily.com.cn

If you go

Contemporary Thangka Art Exhibition

9 am-4 pm, free entry, Nov 16-23. 49 Fuxingmennei Street, exhibition hall of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities. 010-8319-5500.