People visit a comic exhibition being held in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, in memory of the famous artist He Youzhi. [Photo/Ningbo Daily]

To celebrate the 100th birthday of He Youzhi, a late comic artist from Ningbo, Zhejiang province, a comic exhibition kicked off in the city's Zhenhai district on Nov 21.

He's creations, which present literature works through traditional Chinese line drawings, were regarded as a milestone in Chinese comic arts.

The exhibition was held at the Ningbobang Museum. In addition to his 72 paintings, nearly 500 comics by other Chinese artists of different ages were also on display to pay tribute to the elderly artists and showcase young people's innovation spirit.

Li Chen, director of the Comic Art Committee of the China Artists Association and curator of the exhibition, said he was excited to bring the exhibition to Ningbo.

"He was the first director of the committee. And Shen Yaoyi, the second director, is also from Ningbo. Now I am following in their footsteps by coming to the city where they started," said Li.

Li hopes that a new comic era will soon be ushered in.

"The comic creations have regained popularity in recent years, but fewer people are working in the comic industry. We launched comic training programs for the young to encourage them to  make comics.

"Many works by young artists are displayed at the exhibition. We believe that we are striving for a better future for the comic industry."