Arhat animation painting fetches 1.95 mln yuan

Hangzhou (CNS) -- A 15-meter-long arhat animation painting co-created by 23 famous ink and wash painters has fetched a staggering price - 1.955 million yuan (about US$ 309,879) – at the ongoing China International Cartoon & Animation Festival (CICAF).

At the second cartoon and animation auction held on Sunday, 220 bidding items were sold altogether for a total of 13,248 million yuan (about US$ 2.1 million).

The arhat painting, in an exaggerated freehand brushwork style, illustrates the transcendence and noble virtues of its subjects.

Manuscripts of classic comic strips, such as "Journey to the West" and contemporary works from the 1970s, were also sold at the auction, artifacts Mr. Zhang described as embodied "memories of his childhood."

For the first time, a charity round was designated for this year's event. The funds will be donated to a fine art school in Xinjiang.