Ruan Hailin paints a pair of red-crowned cranes on an egg. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Ruan Hailin, a retiree in Nantong, recently shared his egg paintings on his WeChat Moments, which received plenty of "Likes" from his friends.

One of his works features a portrait of Shou Xing, the Chinese God of Longevity on one side and one hundred Chinese shou (longevity) characters written in distinct styles on the other side.

Ruan, who was born in Wuxi, began showing painting talent as early as primary school. He participated in various fine arts activities on campus and learned about egg painting during a field trip themed around sketching.

However, he did not get enough time to develop his hobby until his retirement in 2007. Over the years, he has slowly improved his technique and developed his own style.

During the COVID-19 outbreak this year, Ruan created two sets of egg paintings themed on the fight against the epidemic. One features portraits of seven heroes and heroines, including Zhong Nanshan, Li Lanjuan, and Zhang Wenhong. The other comprises of eight eggs, each with a tip on how to prevent the spread of the virus.

Ruan said that an exhibition showcasing hundreds of his works will be held at the Chongchuan District Library in late September.