Propaganda Poster Art Centre

If socialist art is your thing, check out this gallery which houses a huge collection of propaganda posters. Increasingly prized by collectors, some of them are very rare and prices are correspondingly high. The cheapest start at around Y1000. But there are also lots of cartoons and memorabilia, which are more affordable. Mr Yang, who runs the place, speaks good English and will show you around. Ask to see his collection of dàzìbào, the hand-written posters used to denounce people during the Cultural Revolution. This is the only place on the mainland you’ll see them; most young Chinese have never seen one. The beautiful calligraphy makes for a huge contrast with the violence of the language the writers used.