When members of an arts delegation visited the San Francisco Bay Area two decades ago, they rarely saw signage or posters in simplified Chinese.

"Look at the stores, hotels and museums here nowadays; it's difficult not to spot Chinese-language instructions, commercials or Chinese-speaking clerks," said Tang Guoqiang, a renowned actor in China and beyond. He spoke at the opening ceremony on Saturday for a joint art exhibition featuring calligraphy and paintings by four Chinese artists.

"This is an exciting change - a change in the nature of the China-US relationship. As China grows in all aspects and now is the world's second-largest economy, its influence in cultural exchange also is on display," Tang said.

Bringing about 50 works including calligraphy and traditional Chinese paintings, the delegation spent six months producing and selecting the best for the cross-border exhibition. The San Francisco International Art Center, site of the exhibition, was packed on Saturday.

"We are hopeful that overseas Chinese can cherish their cultural heritage more after visiting, and foreigners can better understand our Chinese culture," said Liu Yan, president of the US-China Culture Exchange Center, one of the event organizers. "Our center has lined up several plans for future events of this kind."

Joining Tang were actress Zhang Jinling, actor Li Jiacun, and producer and screenwriter Zhao Baole. What makes the delegation special is that all four members are not trained to draw or practice Chinese calligraphy. They are professional performing artists who have been acknowledged home and abroad for their skills, eloquence, script writing and comic wit.

"They are unique," said Xiao Xiayong, culture counsel at the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco. "They set a good example for artists in China that cultural exchanges can be conducted through cross-disciplinary media. In this case, our actors and actresses take painting or writing brushes and palettes to play an important role in cementing the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.

"We expect more artists can start the people-to-people conversation and help develop a healthier and smoother communication between the two nations," he said.

Tony Spitaleri, former mayor of Sunnyvale, California, strolled the exhibition hall to view the paintings. During a previous Silicon Valley mayoral trip to China, Spitaleri and many of his American counterparts visited different areas of the country to seek opportunities for business and trade. "China is huge. I'm still learning its culture," he said.

California state Assembly Member Kansen Chu welcomed the artists with certificates of recognition.

Sponsored by the US-China Culture Exchange Center, the Dahaoheshan International Investment Group and the Beijing-based China Television Artists Association of Poetry, Calligraphy and Painting, the exhibition has traveled from Southern California's Yorba Linda, home of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, to the Bay Area.