Lively world

The flower-and-bird motif in Chinese painting has been a favorite genre in which the fine brushwork depicts the vigor of nature to embody a philosophical take on life.

A Flourishing World, a long-term exhibition at Tianjin Museum, shows dozens of such paintings from the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). They are in the collections of Tianjin Museum and the Guangzhou Museum of Art.

Featured artists include monk Zhu Huairen from the 19th century, better known by his art pseudonym Xu Gu, and Zhao Zhiqian, a forerunner of the Shanghai School, a painting movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Works from the time reveal changing aesthetics redefined by booming commerce and urban culture.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays.62 Pingjiang Dao, Hexi district, Tianjin. 022-8388-3000.