Visitors at the exhibition, Elegance, Refinement, Style: Paintings of Hua Yan, in Guangdong Museum. More than 70 pieces or sets of exquisite works by Hua Yan, a painter from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), are on display. ZHENG ERQI/CHINA DAILY

Hua, a native of Shanghang in East China's Fujian province, was born into a poor family. But his pursuit of art was not curtailed by his modest circumstances, according to Chen. His painting first followed the traditional track, but he later pushed boundaries with greater creativity. He became an outstanding painter in the mid-Qing Dynasty, excelling in poetry, calligraphy and painting.

A video was also recorded to enhance knowledge and awareness of the exhibition, analyzing traditional Chinese painting techniques and restoring the creation process of some of his paintings to the public.

During the exhibition, Guangdong Museum has organized a series of expert lectures, on-site guided tours and other related educational activities, along with a series of usable, playable and enjoyable cultural and creative products, to help promote his paintings in various forms and directions.

Yang Jie, a local resident who took her child to the exhibition, says that she now better understands the key features of Chinese landscape paintings, thanks to the help of the guide, and she was also moved by the life story of Hua.