The body of Wu Guanzhong, a famous Chinese painter, was cremated in Beijing Thursday.

Wu died last Friday aged 91 in a Beijing hospital.

His ashes would be scattered into the sea according to his will, said Lu Xinhua, former deputy chief of the School of Arts and Design at Tsinghua University. Lu knew Wu for more than 20 years.

Born in 1919 in Yixing in east China's Jiangsu Province, Wu is widely recognized as the father of modern Chinese painting. He integrated Chinese ink and wash with Western painting methods.

Wu's works include the oil painting "Hometown of Lu Xun" and "The Three Gorges."

The works of the internationally acclaimed painter are in high demand.

Sales of his works at public auctions totaled 31.7 million U.S. dollars last year, according to a report compiled by the Hurun Report in partnership with the Shanghai Art Museum.

Wu donated five ink paintings to the Hong Kong Museum of Art last Friday. That brought his donations to the museum to 52.