There will be a sculpture show open to the public, starting on Sept 25, in Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province, as part of the 12th National Art Exhibition, Taiyuan Daily has reported.

The National Exhibition takes place every five years, with sponsorship from China's Culture Ministry, the Literature and Art Federation, and China Artists Association, and is China's most influential and authoritative art competition, with the largest amount of participation, to represent the highest level of Chinese art.

There was a conference on May 13 to discuss arrangements for the show, with Wang Aiqin, the vice-mayor of Taiyuan, taking part. This year's exhibition consists of 13 exhibit areas, each located in one city, with the sculpture show assigned to the Taiyuan Art Gallery, with 300 works from across the country.

Wang said that this is the first time for Taiyuan, or Shanxi, for that matter, to play host to such an important national art exhibit and she asked government departments to do their best to get ready for the show.

This high-quality top-level event, which runs through Oct 25, will also give Taiyuan a chance to show its culture and image and promote its cultural brands.

Edited by Roger Bradshaw