A photo of a historical event being painted on a fan brings visitors back to two hundred years ago when the ship called Empress of China left New York and set sail to Canton (Guangzhou) in 1784. The ship's captain intended to trade with the Chinese to get tea, silk, and China, marking the first encounter between the two countries.

Many of the photos are sponsored by the American National Archives and Records Administration, which captured historic moments of American table tennis players' Beijing visit in 1971.

One photo with these players touring the Great Wall appeals to many people who stop to take snapshots of their own. "These historic photos are so precious," said a visitor named Li Jiwei. "It has left a deeper imprint in my mind than simply reading books related to Sino-US relations."

The exhibition is jointly organized by the Museum of the Imperial Palace of "Manchukuo" and the Consulate General of the United States in Shenyang. Greg May, the US Consul General in Shenyang, said the two countries have expansive opportunities for trade and culture exchange.

"We see more and more Chinese are learning English, and more Americans are learning Chinese," May said. "I hope more American companies choose China to invest, so do Chinese companies."

The exhibition comes to a conclusion on Nov 30.