Exhibition shows how artists depicted plants and flowers to highlight emotions, Wang Kaihao reports.

Blooming blossoms, luxuriant bamboos and varieties of wood throughout the past millennium have set a festive atmosphere in the Palace Museum in Beijing, China's imperial palace from 1420 to 1911. It is also known as the Forbidden City and the display is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China.

These are auspicious patterns displayed on paper, silk and various materials, highlighting both the delicacy and craftsmanship of the artists.

More than 300 cultural relics-most are paintings ranging from the Song (960-1279) to Qing (1644-1911) dynasties-have been selected from the former royal collection for Seasons of Beauty: A Special Exhibition of Floral Themed Artifacts. They reveal a wealth of culture and the approach of Chinese aesthetics.