The English major graduate worked in a canned food factory for eight years, checking the English and Russian words on the lables of cans.

He returned to Shanghai when the "cultural revolution" ended in 1976 and with his language skills he became a tourist guide in a travel company. When he accidentally received more than 100 propaganda posters in 1995, he developed a passion for the history and art.

At first, he bought from printing factories, bookstores and publishing houses, then from brokers and auctions. Now his collection stands at about 6,000 kinds of more than 11,000 posters.

"What we experienced in our youth has life long influence. The propaganda posters and the time they embody are so familiar to me that I feel it is my responsibility to preserve them so that future generations have a chance to picture them in mind," he says.

Despite the profound historical and political background underlying the propaganda posters, foreign visitors seem to enjoy the museum.

"In Beijing we saw the Great Wall that represents splendid old China. And here we see things visualized in 20th century China, which is similarly interesting. The propaganda language is quite international— we can understand a lot without reading the language printed on them," says Anette Huesch, a visitor from Germany.

IF YOU GO

Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

B0C, Basement,

No 4 building, 868 Huashan Road, Xuhui district, Shanghai

上海徐匯區華山路868號四號樓B0C

Daily open: 10 am to 5 pm

Price: 20 yuan ($3.26)

Tel: 021-6211-1845