The exhibition draws crowds with its Xiamen-themed artworks. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

An art exhibition marking the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the Xiamen Special Economic Zone (SEZ) opened on Oct 14 at the Xiamen Art Museum, featuring more than 160 works spanning Chinese painting, oil painting, watercolor, lacquer painting, and sculpture.

Titled Spring Colors of a City, Flower Blossoms over Decades, the exhibition is jointly organized by the China Artists Association, the National Art Museum of China, and the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Xiamen Municipal Committee. It is free to the public through Dec 10.

The exhibition was first held at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing from Aug 16 to 26. For its run in Xiamen, organizers added works that reflect the city's local character. The exhibition traces the SEZ's 45-year development through five themes: development, ecology, daily life, culture, and exchange.

The exhibition features works by renowned artists with ties to Xiamen. These include sketches of the city by veteran painters Jin Shangyi, Zhan Jianjun, Quan Shanshi, and Zhong Han, as well as works by Fan Di'an, Xu Li, Sun Jingbo, Wang Laiwen, and Jia Guangjian created after three years of visits to construction sites and everyday settings across the city.

A highlight of the exhibition is a 35-meter-long Chinese painting scroll depicting Xiamen's development over the past 45 years. Created by 20 artists led by Fan Di'an, the work offers a panoramic view of the city's mountains, coastline, and urban landscape.

Fan Di'an, chairman of the China Artists Association and chief curator of the exhibition, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Fan Di'an, chairman of the China Artists Association and the exhibition's chief curator, said Xiamen is the only city in China that regularly organizes planned sketching trips for artists. He added that the exhibition serves as an artistic tribute to the SEZ's 45-year development.