"He viewed a good piece of art as more valuable than life," says Xu Qingping. "He developed a strong affection for the work, not because it was painted by a celebrated artist or that it cost a lot, but because it was full of dynamism."

Xu Qingping says his father was "extremely devoted" to every painting. "He briefly stayed in Singapore in 1937. He painted diligently in order to mount a selling exhibition to raise funds for the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

"When he felt dissatisfied with what he painted, he burned them all. It is said he burned hundreds of works," Xu Qingping says.

While Xu Beihong led a frugal life, he was quite generous in collecting quality artworks, especially those by ancient painters. He hoped his collection would one day be the foundation upon which a national art museum would be built.

"I remember when I was a child, we had little cash at home, because father paid almost all of his wages for the paintings offered at antique stores," Xu Qingping says.

After Xu Beihong died, his widow Liao Jingwen donated all of his work and collections of art to the country, which are now housed at the National Art Museum of China, the Xu Beihong Memorial Hall and other cultural institutes.

Wang Bin, chairman of the CITIC Press Group, says the new book will help people to be knowledgeable of the "immense legacies" bequeathed to the Chinese cultural and art communities by Xu Beihong, as well as his spirit and integrity when his nation was in a time of peril. He adds that he hopes it will provide people with historic clues for current discussions about the future.