The ongoing exhibition at the Palace Museum, Paintings and Calligraphic Works of Zhao Mengfu, featuring more than 100 works by the versatile artist and by those from whom he learned, as well as by his students or followers in imperial China, gives a panoramic view of Zhao's art. [Photo by Yao Ying and Wang Kaihao/China Daily]

One exhibit shows a facsimile of Lanting Xu, an iconic calligraphy piece from 353 AD, and a copy.

Speaking about Zhao's life, Wang Lianqi says that though he was a high-ranking official in the Yuan Dynasty, Zhao quit and returned to his hometown in today's Huzhou, in Zhejiang province, saying he was sick.

And many of his later paintings show that he opted for a hermit-like existence in his later years.

Giving details of the exhibition space, Shan Jixiang, director of the Palace Museum, says that ancient furniture, stationery and bonsai are used to decorate the hall.

"We want visitors to feel they are stepping into Zhao's time."

Shan also says that the most comprehensive catalog of Zhao's works, which include his calligraphy and paintings in both Chinese and overseas museums, is to be released at the ongoing exhibition.

If you go

8:30 am-5 pm, Mondays closed, through Dec 5 (rotation in two phrases); the Hall of Martial Valor (Wuying Dian), the Palace Museum, Beijing.