The exhibition, which held its first edition in Shanghai last year, consists of six sections, varying from a retrospective of milestone moments in cinema history, to showcasing the art of filmmaking behind the scenes.

During the opening ceremony in Beijing on April 3, organizers invited several film industry veterans, including art director Cao Jiuping, who collaborated with Zhang on 11 movies.

"Zhang's letter from the Scarlet Bird Hotel was likely written during his involvement in script discussions for To Live. It was the early summer of 1993. He was quite busy, working over 10 hours a day … he probably didn't even have time to meet his younger brother, who brought the food," Cao tells China Daily.