I stepped into one of these shops; a small but rustic and charming place. The menu featured roasts from around the world, but at a minimum cost of 25 yuan for a cup half the size one gets at Starbucks, which left me heading out the door. Local artists surely won’t be chatting over a cup of joe here. It’s clear that Dafen is aiming for the high-end market.

And with more than 400 million yuan in sales last year, the village is steadily attracting more and more of the world market share. Fueled by a steady stream of artists, many from China’s top art academies, the painting won’t stop anytime soon.