Xiaoling Tomb, at the foot of Zijin Mountain in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, is a mausoleum of the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Zhu Yuanzhang, with architectural features and layouts that defined imperial authority.

Among the recent visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage Site was a group of artists from the United States, accompanied by fellow Chinese artists. Immersed in the serene landscapes and relaxed atmosphere, the artists opened dialogues on history and culture.

The US artists visited Nanjing for Connecting Hearts Through Art, an exhibition in which their contemporary ink paintings in the classic style of Nanjing artists are displayed.

The exhibition runs at the Yuan Contemporary Art Museum until June 15 and is jointly hosted by the Jiangsu Chinese Painting Society and Abilene Christian University.

The paintings include mountain-and-water and flower-and-bird genres, delivering a take on the harmony between humans and nature. Works by the US artists encompass prints, sculptures and oils, displaying explorations of form and materials.