[Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

The diverse history, life and cultures of China's 56 ethnic groups have long been central to many artists' creations.So, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China this year, the National Art Museum of China is holding an exhibition through March 24, called Great Unity, dedicated to sculptures which depict China's ethnic variety and richness.

The exhibits fall into two categories. One part looks at the assimilation of various ethnic groups into one big family, and the other part shows distinctive cultural and artistic features of each group.

About 200 works have been selected from more than 600 from across the country.