"The Immortals Chronicle" Yongle Palace Mural Art Exhibition opens in Stockholm, Sweden, on Sept 23. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A mural-themed exhibition in Stockholm is offering Swedish audiences their first glimpse of the famed murals of Yongle Palace – a pinnacle of Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) art – in Ruicheng county, North China's Shanxi province, through reproductions and immersive digital presentations.

"The Immortals Chronicle" Yongle Palace Mural Art Exhibition at the China Cultural Center in Stockholm – the third stop on the murals' international tour following Paris and Sydney – runs until Oct 31. It is jointly hosted by the center, Ruicheng county's government and Shanxi Yongle Palace Mural Protection and Research Institute.

Zhou Limin, China's ambassador to Sweden, highlighted Sweden's rich tradition of collecting and studying Chinese artifacts at the opening ceremony, noting that generations of Swedish sinologists and archaeologists have helped lay the foundation for China-Sweden friendship.

He expressed hope that the exhibition would deepen bilateral exchanges in cultural heritage preservation, digitalization, and exhibition practices.

Johan Fresk, director of Studies at the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies of Stockholm University and editor-in-chief of Fokus Kina, also addressed the audience, saying, "Chinese painting is not just something to be held in hand, spread on a table, or hung in a scholar's studio. It is something you can walk into."

The exhibition comprises five sections: mural art reproduction, color exploration, digital restoration, costume recreation, and cultural product display.

A highlight is a half-scale replica of the "Chaoyuan Tu", crafted using traditional techniques with mineral-based pigments on a clay base, recreating the grand scene of celestial beings paying homage to the Yuan emperor.

Visitors can also explore the history of Chinese mineral pigments, derived from gemstones, medicinal materials, and metals.

The digital restoration section uses artificial intelligence to uncover the original colors of the "Chaoyuan Tu" from 800 years ago, and features a virtual reality experience of Yongle Palace.

The costume recreation section focuses on the sartorial beauty in the murals, showcasing the extraordinary charm of traditional attire.

A diverse array of cultural products is also on display, serving as a bridge for cultural exchange and bringing traditional Chinese art into contemporary life.

Special lectures will be held on topics such as the aesthetics of Eastern murals represented by Yongle Palace, as well as how murals inspired creative work shared by Australia-based artist Ren Jianguo.

A visitor takes photos at the exhibition in Stockholm. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]