What's on

Antique art

Bronze mirrors, painted terracotta bricks (huaxiangzhuan), pottery figures, and religious statues and paintings form part of a vast collection of objects of antiquity at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.

For quite a long time, these precious, beautiful artifacts were mostly for academic appreciation. Now, a selection of this treasure trove, spanning some 2 millennia, is on show for public viewing, with dozens of exhibits for the first time.

Ancient Chinese Art, ongoing at the Art Museum of Central Academy of Fine Arts, has gathered over 200 fine examples to celebrate the aesthetics and artistry of ancient China. They stand in testimony to the social etiquettes and systems of ranks, as well as cultural traditions and philosophical takes on the relation between man and the universe.

Exhibition labels show introductions of the works written by leading experts in the field. Digital means have been introduced to enrich the viewing experience.

9:30 am-5:30 pm, closed on Mondays. 8 Huajiadi Nanjie, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-6477-1575.

Written history

Waves of Valor, an exhibition of calligraphy and manuscripts now underway at the Tsinghua University Art Museum, gathers dozens of pieces of handwriting to unveil historical narratives of the Jiawu War, or the First Sino-Japanese War, which broke out in 1894 and ended in 1895.

The writings, letters, diaries and other manuscripts are by important political figures. They depict the political battles before the war, the efforts against the invaders and the social reforms spurred by defeat in the war. There are also paintings, drawings and photos of the time. Objects on show, until March 30, are from several institutions including the Xiang Gang Museum (Han Mo Xuan), in Hong Kong, the Museum of the Sino-Japanese War, in Weihai, Shandong province, and the Weihai Museum.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. Tsinghua University, Haidian district, Beijing. 010-6278-1012.

Auspicious signs

Animals which embody good luck and blessings are recurring motifs in porcelain from ancient times. An exhibition now on at the Prince Kung's Palace Museum in Beijing shows 120 ceramics from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) which were made to resemble animals, or feature animal patterns of vivid colors and animation.

The vases, plates, incense burners, teapots and ornamental objects were excavated from the relic sites of the imperial kiln in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. The kiln began producing ceramics for imperial use in 1369, and remained in operation until the end of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). While the best pieces were sent to the royal court in Beijing, the defective or low-quality ones were smashed to pieces and buried.

Since the 1980s, continuous archaeological excavations have collected a great number of ceramic debris from the relic site, and restored dozens to their original shape, so that people can feel the graceful beauty of imperial porcelain.

Visitors to the exhibition, through to March 30, will be able to touch and feel the texture of a ceramic fragment from a qinghua cobalt blue dragon-motif bowl, believed to be from the 15th century.

8:30 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays.17 Qianhai Xijie, Xicheng district, Beijing. 010-8328-6859.

China Daily