Show illustrates 70 years of art portraying life in New China

The Tian'anmen rostrum in Beijing has undoubtedly been a more popular spot than usual over the past few days, as crowds of visitors have poured into the famous square to take pictures of some of the floral and poster decorations that are still on display from the grand parade that was held on Oct 1 to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The rostrum has been the subject of many artworks that symbolize national unity and hail New China's achievements over the decades.

In Front of the Tian'anmen Rostrum, a 1964 oil painting by the late artist Sun Zixi, depicts groups of people taking photos with the rostrum. He employed the style and the palette of traditional Lunar New Year prints to deliver a joyful feeling that has ensured the work is still well received today.

In 2009, Tang Yangli, a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, created Birth of New China using colored ink on paper. The piece portrays leaders and guests on the Tian'anmen Rostrum at the grand ceremony on Oct 1, 1949. The work reminds many people of Founding Ceremony, an oil painting with the same theme by late artist Dong Xiwen. In his 8-meter-long scroll, Tang blended the meticulous gongbi style of classic Chinese painting, the figurative techniques of oil painting and the highly decorated patterns of the Dunhuang murals to create a unique portrayal of the famous event.

The two paintings by Sun and Tang, both from the collection of the National Art Museum of China in Beijing, are now on show as part of Great Journey, Splendid View, an exhibition that runs through Nov 2 that allows visitors to review the accomplishments of New China through the evolution of Chinese art over the past seven decades.

While many of the works on show are from the National Art Museum's collection, some are on loan from other galleries and the artists themselves.

Wu Weishan, director of the National Art Museum of China, says the exhibition is a rare opportunity for people to see a great number of China's iconic artworks created since 1949 in one place.