WARRIOR'S SUIT: Visitors appreciate the armor worn by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) at the Second Beijing China Art International Fair on October 21 (LUO XIAOGUANG)

An exhibition of important relics and contemporary art pieces of China was held in Beijing on October 21-24, displaying the country's rich culture and its boundless charm.

As the largest Chinese antique art fair, the Second Beijing China Art International Fair (BCAIF) offered a good opportunity for people to enjoy hundreds of the best and rare Chinese art treasures, said Yu Ping, Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage, one of the sponsors of the fair.

The BCAIF was launched in 2007. As an important part of the China Beijing International Cultural and Creative Industry Expo, the art fair positions itself as an international high-end and professional fair and becomes a key brand of the city's cultural and creative industry, Yu said.

An excellent event

All the treasured antiques and art works exhibited at the BCAIF were from domestic well-known antique agencies and top collectors home and abroad, Yu said.

"It means all the treasures are privately collected relics," said Yu. "For many of them, it is the first time they will be displayed in front of the public."

The rare treasures, collected from prestigious galleries and collectors in New York City, London, Tokyo, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China's mainland, cover ancient paintings and murals, chinaware, lacquer works, jade ware, enamel, and antique furniture. The entire value amounts to 5 billion yuan ($732 million), Yu said.

At the Beijing International Convention Center, the main venue of the event, items on display were divided into four categories—ancient utensils, ancient paintings and calligraphy, modern paintings and calligraphy and contemporary art works.

Highlights include the armor worn by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), an imperial jade seal used by Emperor Qianlong, an exquisite blue and while porcelain vase with patterns of plum blossom made during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), a porcelain plate in the shape of a water chestnut made in the royal kilns during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and some exquisite paintings and murals created by famous ancient artists.

Ancient paintings and calligraphies displayed are about 100 works of Song, Yuan, Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties provided by top collectors. Included are imperial court painters' works, famous scholar paintings of the Ming and Qing dynasties and calligraphies by emperors of Qing Dynasty.

Among these works, the indent copy of Orchid Pavilion Series (masterpiece of Wang Xizhi) by Zhao Mengfu of the Yuan Dynasty was displayed for the first time. The Painting of Red Plum and Turtledove by Lu Ji of the Ming Dynasty created a record price on the auction market. The 17.17-meter-long painting scroll of Hundred Flowers by Zhou Zhimian of the Ming Dynasty displayed the painter's high attainments as creator of the School of Contoured Flower and Non-outlined Leaf.

More than 100 modern paintings and calligraphy works are displayed, including those of well-known Qi Baishi (1864-1957), Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), Xu Beihong (1895-1953) and Lin Fengmian (1900-1991) and other painting masters.