The Magnificent Song of the Times, the Stage of Forging Ahead, an exhibition showing thematic paintings and sculptures created in recent years, opened this year's 798 Art Festival which teams up dozens of galleries and cultural institutions in the art zone.

The exhibition until Oct 26 at the 798 International Art Exchange Center displays 23 artworks reflecting the country's social, economic and cultural landscapes, such as the construction of Xiong'an New Area and the efforts to halt the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The works also zoom in on unsung heroes at the grassroots level, such as the group of people combating desertification at Babusha in Gansu province since the 1980s. 

The creation of thematic art constitutes an important part of 20th-century Chinese art to help people understand the country's course to gain national independence and realize national rejuvenation.