Art beat in January

Mao's poetry brought to life in paintings

Mao Zedong is not only remembered as a revolutionary and founder of New China but is also respected for his poetry. The National Art Museum of China is displaying dozens of paintings inspired by Mao's famous poems, such as Jiangshan Ruci Duojiao (The Land So Rich in Beauty) and Wan Shan Hong Bian (Thousands of Hills in a Crimson View). The museum contributes to the exhibition its collection of ink-and-water paintings and prints by art masters, including Fu Baoshi, Guan Shanyue and Luo Yingqiu. Some of the works are considered classics of China's 20th-century fine arts. Wei Zixi's colored ink painting Tianqian Tongtu (pictured) is on display. Wei recreates a river landscape based on Mao's well-known verse: A bridge connects northern and southern China, turning a natural moat into a thoroughfare.

9 am-5 pm, until Jan 15. 1 Wusi Dajie (Street), Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6400-1476.

-Lin Qi