What's on

Ancient skills

Longquan, Zhejiang province, is known for producing two of China's oldest and most precious objects, the double-edged straight sword and grayish-green ceramics. Longquan swords were first forged during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), and have been hailed as a "top sword of the world "because of their hard texture, sharpness, fine patterns and decorations that deliver solemnity and power. The production of greenish Longquan porcelain prospered during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and was sought after by high society that appreciated its elegance and semi-translucent texture. Dozens of specimens of Longquan swords and ceramics by contemporary artists are now on show at Zhejiang Museum. The show runs through to May 29.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays.25 Gushan Lu, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. 0571-8601-3085/8796-0505.

Animation art

The World Booming under Pencils, an exhibition at Chengdu Museum, brings together more than 200 animation works from China, Japan and the United States, featuring some of the classic characters and stories in animation history. The exhibition looks back on how artists from different cultural and social backgrounds endeavored over the past century to make animation a popular art form among people of different cultures and ages, and how it has become an essential part of pop culture and money-making today. The show not only creates a nostalgic feeling among the audience, but also aims to inspire a new generation of artists who are committed to push Chinese animation to a higher level. The exhibition runs until Aug 28.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays.1 Xiaohe Jie Street, Qingyang district, Chengdu, Sichuan province.028-6291-5593.

Photos of grassroots

Zhu Xianmin has captured snapshots that are considered by peer photographers and critics as pictorial epics of people at the grassroots. He approaches the ups and downs of time and people's day-to-day life in a sincere manner. World in a Grain of Sand, an exhibition of his artworks over the past five decades, is being held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Yinchuan in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region until June. Zhu is hailed as one of China's most influential photographers and a trailblazer in establishing the candid style of documentary photography in the country. His works are laced with compassion and respect for ordinary people, especially those living in rural areas. The images have been widely exhibited and collected, generating a resonance with the viewers. Late French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson says behind Zhu's works are two eyes that can "detect the truth in life".

10 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays.12 Hele Road, Xingqing district, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region. 0951-8426-111.

People and spaces

How do people shape spaces to form different landscapes? How do spaces, in turn, reshape people's visions and mentality? These questions have consistently intrigued Qu Jianxiong, a contemporary artist and professor at Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts. At his ongoing exhibition at Tianjin Binhai Art Museum, titled Film, Qu tries to build a link between spaces and his audience. In a re-created interior of a cinema, Qu uses photos, computer-generated images, light installations and ink works to immerse viewers in a mystic, interactive atmosphere. The exhibition runs through to May 29.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays.347 Xusheng Lu, Binhao district, Tianjin. 022-2562-3366.