He says the show pays tribute to every unsung hero engaging in arduous work at the grassroots level and marks the continuous progress of human civilization and the inheritance of Chinese cultural traditions.

"By hailing the spirit of ox, we highlight the spirit of unremitting self-improvement, devotion and the guts of pioneering new trails which define our national spirit," Wu says.

Examples of the oxen depicted as the embodiment of the national spirit include the bronze sculpture Kneeling Steer made by late Chinese-born French artist Hsiung Ping-ming in 1969. It was donated to the National Art Museum by Hsiung's widow Lu Bing'an, in 2019.

Hsiung is noted for creating a series of ox sculptures to represent hard work, integrity and unpretentiousness in Chinese culture.

He made several sculptures depicting a steer kneeling down on its forelegs. He himself once said that the steers showed "a nation's willingness to endure a heavy load and embark upon a long journey".