Disney's most famous cartoon images including Mickey Mouse are on display at the China Art Museum in Shanghai. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Great children's stories always carry deeper messages for adults. And that is what some visitors are discovering at the China Art Museum in Shanghai. Some of Disney's most famous cartoon images are on display, including Mickey Mouse and the Lion King.

A short clip of Steamboat Willie, the 1928 short-film debut of Mickey Mouse, is being shown at the gate of the exhibition, where more than 300 works are on display. The show includes some original sketches that have never been shown to the public before.

Visitors say they were impressed by the drawings and the story-telling.

The exhibition will run until October 21. Meanwhile, Disney's Shanghai theme park is expected to open next year.