Six pieces from screen paintings unearthed in a Tang Dynasty tomb in 1987 have been put on public display for the first time at the International Horticultural Exposition underway in central China's historical city of Xi'an.

The paintings come from folding screens, a kind of traditional Chinese furniture, discovered in a small village in Shaanxi province. The paintings remain intact thanks to 20 years of protection and restoration. According to Xu Tao, historian and professor of Shaanxi Normal University, the paintings are probably the most complete Tang Dynasty screen paintings in China.

The paintings show groups of people loitering in regal gardens. The expressions on their faces show they are relaxed and idle which is evidence of their affluent lives.