Scale of time

On July 1, 1957, the final steel beam was installed on the first bridge spanning the Yangtze River, the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge in Hubei province, marking its completion. From a small boat drifting on the rippling river, artist Wu Shi, then 43 years old, witnessed the moment. His woodcut, The Final Steel Beam, took nearly four years to complete, capturing the historic scene and becoming a landmark work in New China's printmaking.

Now the centerpiece of The Scale of Time, an exhibition at the Hubei Museum of Art in Wuhan running through May 24, the piece anchors a broader display of works depicting the bridge across different eras. Together, they document the project's impact on the city and its people, while reflecting the nation's industrial and social progress.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. No 1 Sanguandian, Donghu Road, Wuchang district, Wuhan, Hubei province. 027-8679-6062.

A lost state

The state of Guo, which rose to prominence in the early Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-771 BC), played a vital role in the dynasty's development. Since the 1950s, excavations in Sanmenxia, Henan province, including a Guo cemetery and the Shangyang capital site, have gradually revealed this once-forgotten state through its orderly tombs, planned urban layout and refined artifacts.

Wen Li (Inquiries on Etiquette), on show at Anhui Museum's Shushan Hall until May 10, brings together more than 170 objects unearthed from the Guo state cemetery in the 1990s. The exhibition offers a systematic view of Guo's political, economic, cultural and military life, while illuminating the intricate liyue (rites and music) system that shaped social hierarchy and etiquette.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 87 Huaining Lu, Hefei, Anhui province. 0551-6373-6658.

Spirit of Shanghai

At 86, Han Tianheng continues to embody the spirit of the Shanghai School known for its openness and drive for reform. Rooted in tradition, he has spent decades exploring innovation across calligraphy, Chinese painting and seal engraving.

Immersed in Canton Dew, an exhibition now on view at the Bai'etan Nanlu branch of the Guangdong Museum of Art, traces Han's lifelong artistic journey. The exhibition also seeks to deepen cultural dialogue between Guangdong and Shanghai, allowing traditional art to take on renewed contemporary vitality. The exhibition runs until June 28.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 19 Bai'etan Nanlu, Liwan district, Guangzhou, Guangdong province. 020-8890-2999.