Introduction

Set up at the basement of an apartment building on Huashan Road by Yang Pei Ming, this private collection of posters started as a kprivate hobby in the eighties when China was opening up to the rest of the world. Yang managed to collect more than 5000 copies when museums, galleries and libraries were discarding them.

Each piece of art was regarded as the most effective as they were able to communicate the political objective they were meant to in the simplest way possible. It is safe to say that most of the pieces produced during this time clearly show the peak of Chinese revolutionary “the great leap” because the artists put their whole hearts into the papers and brushes.

The posters clearly represent three different eras

Major attractions and activities to do on a visit

Visiting this center provides a glimpse into how life in China used to be during the clashing years of Cultural Revolution. This is a different form of museum with most of its visitors coming from overseas and is home to a wide range of unique art collections displayed in two different rooms.

The posters are neatly set up following a timeline through the different eras depicting the hustle for liberation through war to success, growth and peace. There are articulate pieces showing battlefield scenes, soldiers standing steady and holding Zedong’s little red book, farmers with bumper harvests, steel factories with trails of smoke and slogans communicating about deep emotional times. The second exhibition room is full of authentic denouncement pieces of art designed by locals and put out for display at the time of the revolution era like shipping notices and handwritten big character posters used to communicate back in the days within locals.

It is important to note that most pieces do not have ownership signatures or even publishing numbers showing just how mysterious Chinese art can get in this simple museum. Some also have English commentaries below them for explanation. The artists who created this fascinating pieces of history were graduates from all over the country some from Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou while others were professional artists.

In addition to the pieces on display in the center also has made available both small and large reproductions and reprints plus postcards which tourists can buy as souvenirs while on a visit.