As Luminous As Stars, an ongoing exhibition at Xinzhou Museum, in Xinzhou, Shanxi province, is showing dozens of pastel portraits of the personas featured in TV series Century Masters. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

First aired in 2013, TV series Century Masters documents the life of prominent figures who have made great contributions to culture and science, including artists, opera performers, musicians, writers, architects and scientists. The series has also expanded beyond the screen, hosting exhibitions across China and publishing related books.

Inspired by the program, As Luminous As Stars, an ongoing exhibition at Xinzhou Museum, in Xinzhou, Shanxi province, is showing dozens of pastel portraits of the personas featured in Century Masters. The paintings were made by Cao Xiaoshan over six years. The exhibition is until Sept 15.

A portrait of Lu Xun [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Lian Ji, a scholar and adviser to the series, says the documentary focuses on outstanding 20th-century individuals, many of whom have passed away, but their achievements and spirit "set a high standard" for future generations.

Episodes from the show are also being screened at the exhibition. They were donated to the Xinzhou city government by the show's producer, Yang Jingdao.

A portrait of Li Siguang [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

A portrait of Liang Sicheng [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

A portrait of Ji Xianlin [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

As Luminous As Stars, an ongoing exhibition at Xinzhou Museum, in Xinzhou, Shanxi province, is showing dozens of pastel portraits of the personas featured in TV series Century Masters. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]