128-meter oil painting scroll depicting SZ's economic miracle debuts at airport

A 128-meter oil painting scroll depicting the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone was unveiled at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport on Aug. 26, marking the first time the monumental work had been displayed outside a professional art exhibition venue. Aug. 26 also marked the 46th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone.

Chen Xiaohua, a traveler returning to Shenzhen from a business trip, stopped in front of the painting while pulling a suitcase. “The interplay between art and reality gives the vitality and charm of Shenzhen a more vivid visual expression,” Chen said after gazing at it for a while.

Visitors are drawn to the 128-meter-long painting at the Shenzhen airport Aug. 26. Photos from the airport

The painting scroll, titled “Miracle,” is 128 meters long and 1.8 meters high. Organized by the Shenzhen Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the work was created collectively by more than 30 artists over nearly six months of intensive work. The artists revised the composition 10 times before completing the final version, which consists of three sections: “Prelude,” “The Shenzhen Story” and “The Future Is Here.”

Historic moments that shaped Shenzhen’s destiny, including the first blast that opened the hills in Shekou and the first hammer to fall at a land auction, are captured on the canvas. More than 300 builders, workers and entrepreneurs are also portrayed, giving the grand narrative of reform and opening up recognizable and human faces.

Fan Di’an, chairman of the China Artists Association, said that “Miracle” represents the first systematic attempt, both in China and abroad, to create a thematic oil painting on a scale of more than 100 meters and to present the visual epic of an era.

The painting was previously exhibited at the National Art Museum of China, where it received an enthusiastic response. Its debut at the Shenzhen airport, represents the first time the work has entered a public space serving as a major transportation hub.

A Hong Kong passenger said, “Shenzhen has always been at the forefront of technology, and this painting is an excellent showcase. Before even leaving the airport, I had already fallen in love with this technology-driven city that also embraces art.”

The airport’s transformation into an international aviation hub closely mirrors the rise of the city depicted in the painting.

When construction of the Shenzhen airport began in 1988, the site was little more than tidal flats. In 2025, the airport handled 66.485 million passenger trips and 2.05 million metric tons of air cargo.

In the first half of 2026, passenger throughput reached 33.615 million, while domestic passenger traffic remained the second-highest in China. The number of international and regional passenger routes increased to 63, connecting Shenzhen with nearly 40 countries and regions worldwide.