Zhu Jia adds a final touch to his latest painting. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Freehand sketcher Zhu Jia from Nantong, Jiangsu province, recently completed his latest painting, Six Bridges over Haohe River, which garnered numerous likes on short-video platform Douyin.

Measuring 1 meter in width and 0.5 m in height, the painting was created with 0.05-mm needle pens, based on an aerial photography by photographer Wang Wei.

Starting at Wangfu Building, the freehand sketch showcases the Gongyuan, Changqiao, Wenhuagong, Beihao, Youyi, and Heping bridges successively.

Freehand sketch by Zhu. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Zhu commented that, compared with the bridges, the surrounding scenery, such as the Sijie Street and Xinanying historical and culture blocks, is much more difficult to paint.

Nantong's most well-preserved area is its ancient downtown area. Recognizing that it is the root of the city's culture, Zhu therefore added that he believes it is important for him to study every detail carefully before beginning painting.

While his latest painting is a black-and-white drawing, the creator plans to produce a colored edition with color pencils.

Freehand sketch by Zhu. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Starting from 2015, Zhu has worked on a series of Nantong Impression freehand sketches with 0.05-mm needle pens to display the city's new and old landmark buildings, including Bell Tower, Guangxiao Pagoda, and Nantong Grand Theater.

He has uploaded many of his creations to Douyin to promote the beautiful landscapes of his hometown to more people, amassing over 500,000 followers and obtaining nearly 3.5 million likes.

Zhu revealed that he plans to paint a panoramic drawing of Nantong with grander scenes and even more details.