What's on

New Year paintings

His life mostly spent during social chaos and wars, Qi Baishi the master artist of modern China often expressed a yearning for peace, stability and prosperity. Although times have changed dramatically since then, people are still touched by the festive atmosphere and positive attitude toward life in Qi's works. The Art Museum at Beijing Fine Art Academy is showing a selection of Qi's ink-color paintings and calligraphy scrolls in its collection to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year. Highlighted works on show include Sui Zhao Tu, a scroll painting adopted from a particular style of classical Chinese painting. The style of suizhaotu paintings, made to celebrate the new year, became popular in the royal court of the Song Dynasty (960-1271). The paintings normally depicted booming plants to show spring time and cultural objects such as incense burners, catering to the tastes of aristocrats and intellectuals. It was Qi who reformed the style to make it accessible to the ordinary people, by painting day-today items such as red lanterns, fireworks and cabbages. The exhibition runs until April 5.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays.12 Chaoyang Gongyuan (Park) Nan Lu, Chaoyang district, Beijing.010-6502-5171.

European treasures

A Feast for the Eyes From Europe, an exhibition at the Hunan Museum until April 17, glimpses into a unique collection of art that belonged to European royal families, aristocrats and important figures, built by Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert and now housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Dazzling artifacts on show, including gold and silver objects, enamel miniatures and glass and stone mosaics, reveal to local audiences a chapter of European history and princely manners, as well as handicrafts of sophistication and high taste. People will find it difficult to take their eyes off some of the pieces once presented to European royalty, such as a snuff box embedded with precious stones, that is recognized as one of the most expensive objects of its kind from the 18th century. Through the objects on show, visitors are introduced to the functions that have been forgotten in modern society.

9 am-5 pm, Tuesday to Sunday. 50 Dongfeng Road, Changsha, Hunan province. 0731-8441-5833.

Revolutionary zeal

He Xiangning is recognized as one of the greatest women in 20th-century China. She was a revolutionary, social activist and avid advocate of women's rights. She was also an accomplished painter. Seeking the Artbook Till the End of the Earth, an exhibition at He Xiangning Art Museum, zooms in on the period around 1929 when He made a trip to Europe and exhibited her works to raise funds for a school named after her late revolutionary husband Liao Zhongkai. She also wanted to promote Chinese culture and the revolutionary cause in the country. Meanwhile, she forged close connections with overseas Chinese communities. The exhibition runs through March 27.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 9013 Shennan Dadao, Nanshan district, Shenzhen, Guangdong province.0755-2660-4540.

Vitality and joy

Flower-and-bird paintings are one of the three major categories of Chinese ink painting. They are well-received among the public for showing lively scenes, pairing animals and floral subjects and using a diverse palette. Among those who achieved excellence in the style was late painter Wang Xuetao, renowned for the subtle way he used the brushes and the refinement of his strokes. An ongoing exhibition at the Suzhou Museum, until March 13, reviews Wang's lifelong endeavors to usher the long-standing tradition of flower-and-bird paintings in the context of 20th-century China. Wang's brushwork captures the lively moments of an animal, or a flower, as if the subjects are animated on paper. Also trained as an oil painter, he employed the rules of formation and palette of Western art to reform classical Chinese painting. His works on show are from the collection of Beijing Fine Art Academy that Wang once presided over.

9 am-5 pm, Tuesday to Sunday. 204 Dongbei Street, Suzhou, Jiangsu province. 0512-6757-5666.