De orchidee van Shanghai

The way the characters' lives are shaped by historical events feels so vivid. I'm curious if this balance was planned from the start or evolved during writing.

The descriptions made me want to visit and see the paintings firsthand. Were these based on real artists or scenes from the author's research?

Focusing on an artist's journey added such a personal touch to a turbulent era. I wonder if the author has an artistic background or chose this angle intentionally.