For many Chinese, pine trees and cypresses are symbols of strength and endurance. The evergreen plants are also a great inspiration for artists, including Beijing native Yang Yong'an. Now he is displaying his interpretation of the spirit of pines and cypresses to China's National Museum of Fine Arts.

From the cliff of Huangshan Mountain to Nyingchi in the Tibetan plateau, no matter where their seeds fall, pines grow strongly, as if to reach the sky. That's why artist Yang Yong'an has such a passion for the evergreen tree.

Artist Yang Yong'an said, "Over the decades, I have traveled to about 30 countries and regions around the world to follow the trace of pine trees and paint them. I am deeply moved by their strong vital force."

Yang Yong'an was born in 1949, the same year that the new China was founded. But Yang was not born to be an artist. He is a former head of Dongsheng village in northwestern Beijing.

The former farm area is now Zhongguancun -- the center of the IT industry in Beijing and an area of universities and colleges.

60-year-old Yang has witnessed great changes in China and in the capital, Beijing, over the decades.

At the opening ceremony of his exhibition on Sunday morning, Yang expressed a wish that his motherland will be eternally youthful just like the pine trees.

The message from the artist and his paintings has inspired the younger generation. Among them is the curator of Yang's exhibition. Ge Zi is an international curator who works between China and the United States.

Curator Ge Zi said, "I have learnt a lot from Mr. Yang and his works. I've learnt more about traditional Chinese paintings through this exhibition. Western art focuses more on the forms and ways of expression, while traditional Chinese water and ink painters pay more attention to the message and spirit conveyed through their paintings."

Yang Yong'an's "Vista of Strength" exhibition will run until next Monday at China's National Museum of Fine Arts in Beijing.