A painting by Han Meilin. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Han Meilin will celebrate his 80th birthday with a grand exhibition in Venice this fall, Lin Qi reports.

Han Meilin believes that if a blade isn't sharpened, it will become rusty just like a person who doesn't use his or her brain.

So, the prolific Chinese artist says he keeps active by drawing for more than 10 hours every day. This year, he will be celebrating his 80th birthday on Dec 26 by staging a grand exhibition first in Venice, then Paris and finally Beijing.

Originally from East China's Shandong province, the Beijing-based artist is widely known for designing the giant panda-themed stamps of 1985, Air China's phoenix logo in 1988 and the five Fuwa mascots for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The upcoming exhibition will focus on his creativity in enlivening the Chinese cultural scene and his versatility in being able to work in various artistic fields.