Zhou Haiying, the son of China's great writer Lu Xun, is a well known photographer in his own right. To mark what would have been Zhou's 90th birthday, an exhibition of his work, titled "Moments of Memory", is being staged at the National Art Museum of China. Sun Wei takes a look.

The exhibition handpicked more than a hundred examples of the photographer's work. They represent every period of Zhou Haiying's creative life, over 70 years. As the only child of Lu Xun and Xu Guangping, Zhou Haiying's photographic works are of immense artistic and historical value in the study of modern Chinese history, owing to his special family background.

SUN WEI BEIJING "Although an expert in engineering, Zhou Haiying had chemistry with photography. He was sensitive to the social environment and public thought. He took photos not for 'hunting novelty', but with the hope to witness the times."

Zhou Haiying's photographs chronicle several distinct periods and places, starting in Shanghai in the 1940s, where he focused on the city's middle class and life in its narrow lanes; from there, his photographs go on to record leading figures travelling from Hong Kong to the liberated area in the Northeast; a third instalment covers Beijing life in the 1950s, with a large number of images of Fu Jen and Peking Universities.

Among Zhou Haiying's tens of thousands of negatives are some very private images of his family. His eldest son, Zhou Lingfei, on behalf of Lu Xun's family, donated the photographs and documents to the National Art Museum.

ZHOU LINGFEI SON OF ZHOU HAIYING "My father's photographic works have toured the country 14 times since 2008. But today for the first time they are displayed at the national art museum. I'm glad and honored by this. It means that the works' artistic and historical value has been confirmed by experts. It proves that my father has lived up to his own father, Lu Xun's, commitment to 'be a man of deeds'."

"Moments of Memory" runs until March 17th at the National Art Museum of China. SW, CGTN.