A visitor takes photos of a painting at Nantong Museum on Aug 25. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

A calligraphy and painting exhibition held by the Baoding Academy of Painting and the Nantong Research Institute of Calligraphy and Traditional Chinese painting opened at the Nantong Museum on Aug 25.

The exhibition has been hailed as a collision of northern and southern Chinese culture, with nearly 90 artworks on display.

The history of calligraphy in Nantong dates back to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907-960). In recent years, Chinese fine arts in Nantong have been making waves in the country's art circles.

Baoding is a renowned historical city which was home to a number of famous figures, including Liu Bei, the founding emperor of the Kingdom of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280), and Zu Chongzhi, a great scientist during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period (420-581).

This is the first time that the two cities have carried out cultural exchange. The exhibition will run in Nantong until Sept 6 and move to Baoding in late September.