After more than a year of refurbishment, cultural center of Dongcheng district reopened over the weekend, an opera house was added to the cultural center with a policy of half price every Tuesday.

During the reopening period, the cultural center puts on a few new actives to attract people, an exhibition of painter Wang QiZhi, the man who paints Chairman Mao was being held in the center.

For decades, 15 by 20 foot, oil painting has served as a national icon, it has also made the man who painted it a legend, Wang stopped to paint Chinaman Mao in his 60’s, because at that age he was no longer able to climb up and down wooden brackets everyday to paint, however, his passion of painting Chinese leaders didn’t stop, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zenmin, one after the other these modern legends of the middle kingdom appeared on his canvas.

Apart from the exhibition, the first opera since it reopened flying institution also opened its curtains.

To thank all the support from the public, the cultural center will keep a small amount of ticket free of charge for the local resident.

Story & Video: Huan CAO