The curtain was lifted on the Shanghai Art Fair, the largest art trade show in Asia, at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center in the city's Pudong New Area on Nov 3.

This is the first time the expo center has hosted the fair, which was attracted by the center's convenient access and advanced facilities.

Based on the theme "art makes life better", this year's fair will run until Nov 6 and covers an area of 25,000 square meters.

A total of 140 art galleries from 17 countries such as the US, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Japan are celebrating the fair's 20th anniversary, displaying thousands of artworks including traditional Chinese paintings, oil paintings, sculptures, and ceramics.

More than 20 prestigious artists from China and abroad have been invited to launch a special exhibition called "Road of Art", presenting various modern artworks.

Young artists will also stand out during the fair. For instance, a five meter high bronze sculpture displayed at the entrance of the fair, created by Shi Jun, born in 1986, is already attracting the attention of many collectors.

A series of lectures will be given by experts such as Ma Wei, founder of Guanfu Museum, Liu Xiaoqing, Chinese calligrapher, and Gumpu Nakamura, Japanese ceramic artist, to inform the public about art.

Initiated in 1997, the fair has been held for 19 consecutive years and has developed into an event of global significance, serving as a platform for artists and art galleries from all over the world to exchange and exhibit their work. It also gives art collectors and enthusiasts an opportunity to simply enjoy one visual delight after another.

Porcelain vase displayed at the 2016 Shanghai Art Fair. [Photo/Pudong Times]