As a painter, Lu Ting, 46, has a special way to express her deep love for her hometown: making colorful paintings on her beloved stones.

"I was born and raised near the Yellow River and used to visit a lot as a child. I feel connected with the river," she said.

At the age of 2, she moved from Bayannuur, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, to the region's Wuhai city, where she was raised. It's where the Yellow River enters the region.

Lu majored in woodblock painting at Inner Mongolia Normal University and now works for the painting and calligraphy academy in Wuhai's Hainan district.

The idea of painting on stones hit her in 2016, because she was fascinated by the stones when walking along the river near an inn in the city.

"I have been fond of these stones since childhood, and was attracted by their different shapes years ago when I visited the river again," Lu said. "The image of the Yellow River as the mother river of our nation inspires me."