What's on

Legacy of the south

South China's Guangdong province has been a gateway for exchanges between the country and the rest of the world since ancient times. Its thriving art scene exhibits the integration of various regional cultures across the country and the introduction of Western art.

A selection of collections from the Guangzhou Museum of Art now on show at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing offers a glimpse into the booming art market in Guangdong from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

A prosperous economy motivated extensive exchanges between homegrown artists and cultural figures who traveled to the province. Many business owners built private art collections that further boosted creativity.

The exhibition, running until Feb 16, is the latest installment of Ink Splendor and Cultural Context, a series in which the national art museum collaborates with art museums around the country that rotate exhibits in Beijing.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6400-1476.

Swiss designs

Posters, chairs, books, shelves and woven pieces ... more than 200 fine examples of creativity are on show at Swiss Design Classics, an exhibition in Beijing that opens people's eyes and hearts to the evolution of Swiss design spanning four centuries. The show runs until Jan 12 at the Today Art Museum.

The exhibition is a celebration of the country's inventive forces, from daily apparatuses to the industries of engineering and medical applications. It steers the audience through a journey of groundbreaking research and practices that have changed the lives of people in Switzerland and around the world.

The exhibition pays tribute to Max Bill, an influential Swiss artist, architect and designer, by displaying his works of furniture, posters and prints of limited editions. A section of the show is dedicated to the winners of the annual Most Beautiful Swiss Books competition.

The exhibition marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Switzerland in 2025. It will later tour Nanjing, Jiangsu province; Shenzhen, Guangdong province; and Shanghai.

10 am-6 pm, closed on Mondays.32 Baiziwan Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-5876-0600.

Perfect path

Dao in Chinese means the road, way and path that also includes the rules, courses and methods to achieve one's goal. The Perfect Path recently opened at the Art Museum of the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, shows the approaches of various artists and art groups embracing an international vision, grounded in their traditions.

The exhibition, running until Jan 10, is a collaboration between the China Academy of Art and the Venice Biennale with its Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts, launched on the 700th anniversary of the death of Marco Polo, the Venetian merchant and adventurer who reached Hangzhou in the 13th century.

The exhibition pays tribute to this historical connection between Venice and Hangzhou and looks to deepen exchanges between Italy and China in a new era.

9 am-5 pm, daily. 218 Nanshan Lu, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.0571-8661-1569.

China Daily