Exhibits with dragon patterns are on display at the Jiaxing Museum in Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: jxfabu]

To celebrate the upcoming Chinese zodiac Year of the Dragon, Jiaxing Museum, together with the Nanyang Stone-carved Art Museum in Han Dynasty and Nanyang Tang Palace Museum, has organized a special exhibition of 80 rubbings of Han dynasty (206 BC-220) dragon-themed stone reliefs.

The rubbings originate from places with a variety of traditional cultural ties to dragons, such as Nanyang, Tengzhou, Xuzhou, and Chengdu.

To ring in the Year of the Dragon, the exhibition is also showcasing 40 pieces of dragon tiles from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) imperial and vassal palaces as part of its dragon culture in Han paintings and Ming tiles exhibition.

"The tiles have so many dragons, which are all very exquisite and beautiful, and also show the wisdom of the ancient working people," expressed Yang Jicheng, a child who visited the exhibition.

A painting titled Flying Dragon Star Map shows the dragon culture of the Han dynasty. Chen Kuan, deputy director of Jiaxing Museum, explained: "This painting has flying dragons, hibernating beasts, and stars. It reflects the politics, culture, economy and other elements of that time. This work serves as proof of the revival of Han culture, and also exemplifies the national spirit."

The exhibition is scheduled to run through March 10, with the museum also planning several forthcoming dragon culture-themed activities.