Taste the history of tea

Taste and Essence, an exhibition at the Macao Museum of Art, reflects upon how the time-honored tea culture evolved in China and the West. It brings together 170 exhibits, including teas, antique tea wares and tea-themed paintings from the collections of the Palace Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum. Falling into six categories, the exhibits explain how emperors' personal tastes influenced the cultivation of different tea types and the techniques of making tea wares. For example, an intricate enamel teapot with patterns of landscapes, flowers and birds (pictured) from the reign of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) Emperor Qianlong demonstrates his fastidious attitude toward tea drinking. A section specifically traces back to the emerging social landscape of afternoon tea in Britain in the 19th century.

10 am-7 pm, no admittance after 6:30 pm and closed on Mondays, until March 9. Macao Museum of Art, Avenue Xian Xing Hai, Macao. 853-8791-9814.

—Lin Qi

Gongbi gets a fresh look

Sophistication of Brushwork in Contemporary Era is a nationwide exhibition focusing on the recent development of gongbi painting with an academic approach. It juxtaposes nearly 400 ink paintings, installations and mixed media works from more than 100 artists that demonstrate the scope and richness of their explorations to renew the face of the centuries-old gongbi technique. "The craftsmanship of gongbi not only emphasizes the meticulous, highly detailed brush strokes and the dynamics of the subjects. We also hope to extend the spirit of gongbi by embracing deep concerns over the impatience and restlessness of social psychology today," says Fan Di'an, director of the National Art Museum of China and the exhibition's co-curator.

9 am-5 pm, until Dec 26. National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Dajie (Street), Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6400-1476.

—Lin Qi