A work by Chen Beixin, 2012, oil painting, 60×50cm.

A China-US exhibition featuring 24 famous names of painting and calligraphy in China kicked off in Beijing on Wednesday.

The show will move to the United Nations' building in New York and to New Jersey in May.

The show presents more than 60 works of Chinese ink and oil paintings. Figures of ethnic groups living in Western China and magnificent landscapes showing mountains and rivers are the subject of works on display.

Liu Dawei, chairman of the Chinese Artists Association, Yang Xiaoyang, president of the Chinese National Academy, and Zhou Yong, who have lived in the US for decades are taking part in the show to support art exchange projects between the US and China.

Liu is known for his works named "Horse Nation" which depict the costumes of ethnic groups in the Chinese frontier.

Yang Xiaoyang usually shows romantic figures in his works.

The painting exhibition will be at the UN headquarters from May 3 to 5 and at the New Jersey Department of State (225 Gallery) from May 4 to 7.

"It's very rare for a show with so many big names of Chinese contemporary arts to be shown in the UN headquarters and New Jersey," said Zhou.

Zhou's hometown is Karamay in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, a city rich in oil and gas reservoirs. The Karamay government organized the touring exhibition.

Zhou's works look into the ethnic group's life based on his early life in Karamay. He keeps a close eye on the western part of both China and the US.

The show in Beijing runs though April 12 at the Manet Grassland, the exhibition base of the China National Academy of Painting.