CHANGSHA, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Over 140 pieces of contemporary art by 25 Italian artists are on show in Fenghuang, Hunan Province.

The works were selected by the academies of fine arts in Florence, Milan and Rome.

The ancient town is one of China's top attractions with well-preserved architecture and clean streets. The local government has renovated a number of mansions and turned them into exhibition halls where the Italian art show runs until July 10.

Tiziana D'Acchille, director of the Accademia di Belle Arti Di Roma, said the show is a result of the alliance of the four cities.

From Saturday, Fenghuang will also host an exhibition of 1,100 Chinese paintings, many of which will be on sale, by more than 300 artists from China's leading academies.

Fenghuang, with 1,300 years of history, used to be an important water transportation hub for inland central and south China regions. It is home to many Chinese literature and art masters, such as Shen Congwen, Chen Shizeng and Huang Yongyu.