A future-proof view of past glories

Buddhism-themed paintings that reflect cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world along the Silk Road also constitute an important chapter of the exhibition. To enrich people's knowledge of this special part of Chinese art, 10 3D-printed scale models that replicate Buddhist caves, niches and statues at renowned sites such as Dunhuang's Mogao Grottoes in Gansu province and Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan province, are on display.

Wang Xiaosong, also the exhibition's co-curator, says that digital aids have allowed people to enjoy a similar experience to woyou ("traveling without moving"), a pastime popular among ancient intellectuals. "While people walk between these paintings on the walls or displayed on digital screens, they are able to feel, like our ancestors described, as if they were surrounded by real landscapes, and their hearts and minds will be set free, even though they don't physically stray far from home.

"The exhibition not only traces the evolution of Chinese art throughout the centuries, but also builds a spiritual haven where people will see the infinite magnificence of our cultural traditions."

The project took the team to cultural institutions both around the country and across the world, a process described as "fishing for a needle in the sea" by Jin Xiaoming, a professor of the School of Art and Archaeology at Zhejiang University, with expertise in classic Chinese painting and calligraphy.

He says that a primary basis of their work is The Catalog of Ancient Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, a landmark reference book for scholars and collectors from the 1980s. It catalogs works once appraised and authenticated by a group of respected connoisseurs, hailed as "the nation's eyes to spot treasures", such as Xie Zhiliu, Qi Gong, Xu Bangda and Liu Jiu'an.