Fuller: Intricate map artist circles Beijing

Fuller said when he tells locals he has walked Beijing's six rings roads by foot they "look very bemused"

A UK artist known for his intricate maps has walked hundreds of miles in circles in Beijing to document the Chinese capital.

Fuller said he was inspired after a cycling tour of the Great Wall of China in 2014 and "felt compelled" to move to the "Chinese mega city" last year.

He said he "underestimated" Beijing's scale after walking 861 miles (1,386km) in nine months around its ring roads.

Fuller - pen name of Gareth Wood - has also drawn maps of Bristol and London.

The Temple of Shopping is nestled in the busy commercial district of Sanlitun and the flags of various embassies "fly above an official building like an inkwell", Fuller said

He said Beijingers had been "very positive about the art" and he has also created a group on Chinese social media platform WeChat, called #WalkInProgress, with members following his research and sharing tips.

"Beijing is gigantic - its scale, its community and ambitions for the future," the 37-year-old artist said.

"Everything here is big. I underestimated so much."

Bejing's tallest building, Z15 Tower, is called Zun by locals as it is shaped like a Zun, a traditional wine vessel

He said: "I think what I lack in deep knowledge of the place - as I've only been here for one year - has been replaced with hundreds of kilometres of walking research and gathering stories.

"My walking research is a way to observe culture, gather stories and topics, that will be depicted in my art."

He said there were "obviously scale and cultural" differences when looking at Beijing, compared to the UK cities but said something all three had in common was "their love for cycling".

"When I tell locals I've walked all the rings roads in the city by foot they look very bemused," he added.

"Beijing is home to over 26 million residents, the landscape is incredibly flat and spread out. Unlike Bristol's hills which gave me viewpoints and perspectives to compose the work."

Fuller walked 861 miles (1,386km) around Beijing between 26 March and 17 December 2017

Beijing-based contemporary artist Colin Siyuan Chinnery said: "Fuller's works are like spatial totems - they attempt to map the psychology and spirit of a city."

Dianne Francombe, from Bristol and West of England China Bureau, said she was "delighted" the two cities had been linked through Fuller.

She said his maps of both cities brought them "alive" as "cultural and fascinating places to visit".

Fuller, pictured with a model of Beijing, created a digital community on Chinese social media platform so local people could give him tips on where to visit

Fuller said he hoped the Chinese map would now be put on permanent public display.

The maps of the UK cities were acquired by the Museum of London, Bristol Museum and the British Library in 2016.

He said for his next project he wanted to "improve my Mandarin and carry on researching in another Chinese city".

"But after so much time alone I'm keen to visit Bristol and London and be with friends before the next project begins," he added.

Fuller spent 10 years creating an intricate map of London using only an ink pen and the history of the capital

The map is on show at ART Beijing in the Chaoyang District from Sunday.