"We found that many artists from the first generation of pioneers in Xinjiang have already passed away. It's a matter of urgency to collect the creations of those left as part of Xinjiang's art history," Chen says.

Chen and other editors started to get in touch with elderly artists who once worked or are still living in Xinjiang to collect photos of their paintings, woodcut pictures and paper-cut works for the online exhibition.

"We hope that these artworks can help people from home and abroad learn more about the realities of Xinjiang and have some insight into how it came to achieve the prosperity of today," he adds.

Contact the writer at xingwen@chinadaily.com.cn