What's on

Show of woodcuts

When he was young, artist Huang Yongyu made a backpack out of canvas to carry his woodcuts, tools for making prints, books and a heavy whetstone, making him a subject of ridicule among acquaintances. He once recalled that during wartime when he heard gunshots, he grabbed the backpack and ran for his life. "I have never parted with the tools. They are like my bones, documenting part of my history." Carved Into Wood, an exhibition now on at Suzhou Museum until July 24, reviews Huang's woodcuts, through which people can see the artist's rich life journey. Prints on show are dated as early as 1946 and throughout the early 1990s when he started to invest more time and energy on ink paintings. The exhibition also shows the cultural elements of Huang's native Hunan province and the ethnic arts that inspired him. Huang's works display a mix of modernity and "an aroma of the soil", underneath which appears an artist whose intelligence resounds with generations of his audience.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays.204 Dongbei Jie, Suzhou, Jiangsu province. 0512-6757-5666.

Han-era bronze lamps

The use of lamps, of various shapes and materials, became popular during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). Such lamps, known for technical refinement, are among the best examples of ancient Chinese craftsmanship. Nanjing Museum is showing a selection of Han-era bronze lamps cast in the shape of an ox or featuring ox motifs from its own collection. The objects were made with a silver-inlaid technique, a signature handicraft of the Han Dynasty, to render the patterns a majestic feeling. A highlighted exhibit was unearthed from an ancient tomb in 1980. The lamp body features common motifs, such as swirling clouds, triangles and spirals, as well as mythological and auspicious animals, including the dragon, phoenix, tiger and deer. The uniqueness of this lamp is that it includes three moveable parts, the ox-shaped foundation and water container, on top of which is an enclosed holder to place candles and an arched tube. When lit, the smoke enters the tube and then the ox's belly where it is absorbed by water. The design is to keep the air clean and fresh.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays.321 Zhongshan Donglu, Xuanwu district, Nanjing, Jiangsu province.025-8480-7923.

Artistic exchange

Rolling Snowball 14, an exhibition at Xiamen Powerlong Art Center, is showing contemporary works by Chinese and Dutch artists to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Netherlands this year. The show features the changing situation of individuals when dealing with relationships, their surroundings and nature in a rapidly evolving world when physical landscapes and virtual realities are being reshaped by human activities and digital technologies. The show, running until June 5, also promotes artistic exchanges between the countries.

11 am-7 pm, Monday to Thursday; 11 am-8 pm, Friday to Sunday. L4, Onemall, 1 Jinshan Road, Siming district, Xiamen, Fujian province.0592-553-7877.

Extended vision

Look Back and Expand, an ongoing exhibition at Zhejiang Art Museum in Hangzhou, reviews the career of Wu Jide, a local artist, printmaker and educator. On show are dozens of paintings, prints and drawings in which Wu presents the tranquility of southern China. Through the decades, Wu has endeavored to accentuate in his work the elegant color arrangement of classical Chinese painting, especially the use of varying shades of ink to reinforce a rhythmic touch.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays.138 Nanshan Lu, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. 0571-8707-8700.