
A dreary grain silo that was transformed into an enormous colourful artwork in South Korea has been named by Guinness World Records as the largest outdoor mural in the world.

The painting which depicts a young boy's journey into adulthood covers the outside of giant storage containers in the port city of Incheon, west of Seoul, taking up 254,975sq. ft. (23,688sq. meters).

The mural was commissioned by the city's government and port authority as part of efforts to improve the negative view of aged industrial facilities.

The painting which depicts a young boy's childhood covers the outside of giant storage containers in the port city of Incheon, west of Seoul

Twenty-two artists used more than 850,000 litres of paint to tell the story, which reflects the seasons and resembles 16 individual book covers

A view of the once drab port from the air, which is now lit up by the vibrant paining; the work was commissioned by the city's government and port authority as part of efforts to improve the negative view of aged industrial facilities

Sunset over the smoggy sky of Incheon; the mural has been listed by the Guinness World Records as the largest of its kind in the world

They took their inspiration from the community art projects of the 1920s that swept the United States and Mexico, according to the South's Yonhap news agency.

Twenty-two artists used more than 850,000 litres of paint to tell the story which reflects the seasons and resembles 16 individual book covers, at a cost of 550 million won (£385,791).

It topples the previous record holder by a significant margin; the Pueblo Levee Project in Pueblo, in the US state of Colorado, at 16,554 square meters.

Government and port officials also hope the mural will give a boost to tourism on Wolmi Island, one of the top tourist spots near Incheon.

The scale of the 23,688-square-meter mural topples the previous record holder by a significant margin; the Pueblo Levee Project in Pueblo, in the US state of Colorado, at 16,554 square meters