The rubbing of a brick portrait at the China Qingdao Han Portrait Brick Museum depicts two intertwined dragons. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

The showpieces include Han Dynasty stone portraits, brick portraits, murals, silk paintings and lacquer paintings. Stone and brick portraits far outnumber other kinds of exhibits as they are widely distributed in the country, in places such as Central China's Henan province, East China's Shandong province, and Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

Elaborate funerals prevailed during the Han Dynasty and this can be attested by the abundant stone and brick portraits in various themes and styles excavated from tombs belonging to that period.