The artworks since the Yan’an Era (1933-2007) are characterized by a clear social or political theme, which is a typical mark of the past era. These themes either reflect a history or present a reality, but the products of this pursuit of realism and their romantic feelings are a testament to that passionate era. Promptly responding to the social and realistic demands in different periods, these theme-orientated artworks not only glorify the revolutionary history, but also play an active part in social reality. However, most of such works suffered due to political pushback, which has become a distinct phenomenon in fine art creation since the middle of the 20th century.

Among all the various themes found in artistic creation, that of the Second Sino-Japanese War has become one of the longest running themes since the war. Under the Counter-Japanese National Front, the Counter Japanese Salvation Movement quickly became the principle political movement during the war. During this special period of national struggle, the Communist Party of China not only directed its Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army to fight the enemy on the battlefield, but also established the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, using literature and art as a political weapon and a means of uniting and educating the people. Under the promotion of the Communist Party of China, large numbers of literary and art works flocked to Yan’an, assembling into a united front to resist Japan. They invested in various cultural activities related to the Counter Japanese Salvation Movement, creating vast amounts of plays, music, art, and other cultural artifacts, inciting the people and to participate in the movement. This eight-year war not only profoundly affected China’s political, economic, and social state, but also laid the foundations for the development of art creation in New China.

This exhibition selects more than one hundred pieces of artworks from the Long Museum’s collection. These artworks that inspired by the Second Sino-Japanese War demonstrates a new stage in art creation with themes such as the "Liberation War" and "New China." This exhibition reviews the history of communist art since the Yan’an Era and proves that counter-Japanese literature and art were an important tool in assisting the revolution. The movement further laid the foundations for a large number of later artistic movements to come.

The major changes that have taken place since the Yan’an Era up till the end of the 20th century are like the huge changes that have taken place in Chinese society. Although the needs of society are decreasing, artistic creation no longer exists independently of the world. Although it documents history and reflects reality, it is not often compared with other works of art which exist solely for an aesthetic or expressive purpose. Therefore, this exhibition simultaneously looks back towards history and holds up a mirror towards reality. Although the revolutionary period belongs to the past, the spirit and character left over from that era are a legacy of history that we must rise up to face.