Artists showcase Grand Canal-inspired works in Beijing

Ukrainian artist Annette Golden shared that her trip to Luoyang, the eastern capital of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), enabled her to learn the story of China's only female emperor, Wu Zetian. During her reign from 690 to 705, Wu brought about needed social changes with strong leadership that stabilized the dynasty and ushered in one of the most fruitful ages of Chinese civilization.

"An empress of China gave me, a Ukrainian artist, strength, hope for a better future and motivation to never give up. I felt the strength to come back to my art, to my projects and to the things that make me me," she wrote in an article about her painting Threads of Resilience, which Wu heavily inspired.