Chinese beggar’s chalk ‘Mona Lisa’ street drawings spark social media storm

A one-legged Chinese street beggar has sparked widespread interest on mainland social media with his chalk pavement drawings of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa and “China’s Mona Lisa” – the nation’s First Lady Peng Liyuan, China News Services reports.

His art work in Jinhua, in Zhejiang province, on Saturday attracted large crowds, with some admirers placing hundred-yuan bills in his collecting tin.

Photographs of his work have been shared by thousands of people on their weibo pages.

The beggar, 53, originally from Linyi, in Shandong province, has studied at some of China’s best art institutes over the years, but prefers to make a living from his street drawings.

He has lived on city streets for more than 30 years since losing his leg to cancer.

Since then he has travelled around the country earning money for his pavement drawings in almost every major mainland city.