An exhibition featuring famous Chinese illustrator Jimmy Liao's picture book stories is offering visitors a moment of fantasy to escape the real world.

A depicter of metropolitan fairy tales, Liao has been offering his readers warmth and healing through his dreamy scenarios and striking, bold colors over the past 25 years. His books have been translated into dozens of languages and are sold around the world.

Titled "The Found and the Lost," the immersive interactive painting and drama exhibition being held at the Today Art Museum in Beijing aims to offer a deeper exploration of the concepts of possession and loss – a recurring theme in Liao's picture books.

Entering the space with scenes and installations recreating Liao's iconic illustrated world, visitors are guided by characters played by staff members and a WeChat mini-app to fulfill the task of finding the lost moon, a scenario in Liao's book "When the Moon Forgot."

Visitors can also help find the lost cat in "Missing My Cat," watch a play about the love story featured in "Turn Left, Turn Right," and play interactive games related to "A Fish with A Smile" and "Mr. Wing" during their immersive journey.

For Liao's fans, the exhibition is indeed an evocation of childhood memories, only more vivid – because the two-dimensional images have been transformed into immersive 3D experiences. But for those who haven't read his books before, it is also an opportunity to open the door into a new world and find hope and courage there.

Night tours are also being offered in the run up to the Mid-Autumn Festival where visitors can create their own paintings on moon-shape lanterns at a DIY workshop.

The exhibition will run until October 8.