The timing couldn't have been better. The one-year delay in staging the Third Beijing International Art Biennale is adding color to the Beijing Olympics and showcasing the event to a world audience.

Themed Colors and Olympism, the international art gala is touted as the largest in China for 50 years.

The first Beijing Biennale in 2003 drew artists from 45 countries, it was up to 69 in 2005 and this time the number has leapt to 81.

"Colors are just like the beautiful rainbow connecting our dreams with reality, as well as art with the Olympics," says Feng Yuan, deputy chair of the China Federation of the Literary and Arts Circles, a key organizer of the event.

He believes the paintings and sculptures at the Biennale will enrich the atmosphere of the Games, while the Olympics in turn inspires artists with concepts of harmony and progress.

The theme of the biennale has been well received by artists around the world, according to Tao Qin, secretary-general of the organizing committee. She says 3,000 artists from around the world have submitted more than 10,000 works for the event.

A panel of judges consisting of both Chinese and foreign curators, art critics and senior artists, have chosen 747 works by 701 artists from 81 countries and regions for the final appearance at the National Art Museum of China and Exhibition Hall of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in downtown Beijing.

This year's Biennale also offers five special exhibitions: from Britain, Mexico, Mongolia and Norway, plus one of contemporary world prints.

Many of the exhibits depict Olympic subjects, portraying athletes or sports scenes.

Visitors attracted by Head, a work of mixed media, by Mexican artist Javier Marin.

For instance, Zheng Bo from Beijing portrays Titan-style wrestling in his oil work; Lhagvasuren Gomb-Ichin from Mongolia depicts a polo match in an Expressionist manner; Wallace Chen from Macao uses his poetic sculpture Crossing the Century to depict hurdlers, symbolizing China's unprecedented social change.

Overseas Chinese artist Sun Xiuting portrays a group of Tang Dynasty ladies and Greek nymphs playing Chuiwan, an ancient Chinese sport similar to golf.

However, these works are by no means one-dimensional visual interpretations. A wide range of styles and techniques are in use such as Classic, Modern, Realism, Abstract, Expressionism, Symbolism, Surrealism and Collagist art.

"All their works express man's dreams of peace and harmony, aspirations to beauty, extolment of youth and admiration of strength," says Wang Mingming, a panel judge and renowned ink artist.

Ouyang Fenfang, a lecturer from Xiamen, Fujian province, visited the exhibition along with 36 of her students in industrial design.

"Although it is not a show of design art, we can still learn a lot from so many works by artists from very different cultural and social backgrounds," she says.

Huo Xiuming, a veteran art educator from Beijing No 165 Middle School, grabbed the opportunity to hold an art class for his 15 junior high students in the exhibition halls of National Art Museum of China.

"Never before has such a feast for the eyes been available for visitors in Beijing," he says.

In Huo's opinion, to come face to face with works of art from around the world opens people's eyes and "it may help my students to build up a reasonable view of what contemporary art is like besides our traditional ink paintings and folk art works".

Young Serbian artist Sejma Prodanovic, who first attended the Biennale in 2005 and this time submitted a collage depicting people in a swimming pool, rates this trip to Beijing as a "golden chance to see a rapidly changing China."

"This is my second time in China and I couldn't believe my eyes. The city I saw three years ago has changed so much," she says.

South Korean artist Ryu Il-Seon says participating in this Beijing Biennale is an attempt to promote friendship, cooperation and mutual understanding among Asian artists.

Ryu got his master's degree at the Central Academy of Fine Arts and doctoral degree at the Central University of Ethnic Nationalities in Beijing four years ago.

A key member of South Korea Artists Society, he established his studio in the Wangjing residential area in northeast Beijing three years ago.

Rubbing shoulders with Chinese artists at South Korean galleries in Beijing is part of his daily life.

"The biennale acts as an eye-catching arena to show the world the emerging force of Asian artists," Ryu says.

His romantic Festival Perfume is on show at the National Art Museum of China with oil and sculpture works from other five South Korean artists.

The Biennale is mostly limited to paintings and sculptures.

"This not only tallies with current mainstream trends in China but also conforms to the trend of the revival of painting in world art scene," says key curator Wang Yong.

"One cannot say the Beijing biennale is conservative just because it is restricted to paintings and sculptures.

"Actually, the biennale is flexible enough to absorb various new forms of paintings as well as installation as an extended form of sculpture," he adds, refuting objections from some local critics about the quality of a biennale that excludes avant-guard art genres.

"True, art seeks innovation but innovation does not just mean new media and new art forms," he says.

"New possibilities and renewed vitality in traditional art genres are exactly what the Beijing Biennale strives to contribute to the diversity of contemporary world art."

The Beijing Art Biennale started in July and will last till August 24.