Liuba Draws Beijing (English Edition): A Watercolor Memoir of Life in China’s Capital

Liuba Draws Beijing is not your typical travel guide. It‘s an illustrated love letter to China’s capital, painted by Russian artist Liuba Vladimirova, who has lived in Beijing for more than ten years-4-14.

Through full-page watercolor paintings, Liuba captures the moments most visitors miss: early-morning street vendors serving commuters, the maze of old hutong alleys against a backdrop of glass skyscrapers, a snow-dusted Forbidden City, and the Great Wall under a star-filled sky-4-12. Her witty observations and eye for tiny, joyful details turn everyday scenes into something unforgettable — she even hides her beloved Totoro in the illustrations for sharp-eyed readers to find-4.

This English edition preserves the artist‘s original voice, with pinyin annotations for Chinese words so international readers can pick up useful phrases along the way-4-10. At 180 pages, the hardcover volume is as much an art book as it is a travel companion. It includes a bonus A2-sized illustration of a Beijing hutong — perfect for framing or displaying-4-7.

Whether you’ve been to Beijing, dream of going, or simply appreciate beautiful watercolor art, this book offers a warm, personal, and genuinely unique window into one of the world‘s most fascinating cities. Suitable for all readers, regardless of language background — the paintings speak for themselves