The cities of Beihai, Qinzhou and Fangchenggang in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region can trace their history to the heyday of the Maritime Silk Road, serving as important hubs for merchants from home and abroad. Today they continue to play a role in exchanges between China and the world as part of the Beibu Gulf city chains.

A watercolor exhibition at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing, celebrates the glorious past of these ancient ports and new developments in Guangxi.

On show are 87 watercolors largely by painters based in Beihai, including still lifes, landscapes and figures. The exhibition ends on Wednesday.