A large-scale exhibition of art works donated for charity auction is being held at the Chinese Museum of Women and Children, with a range of pieces including jade ware, paintings, porcelains and other articles available for preview before the bidding.

Individual collectors have donated more than 1,000 pieces since the project was launched nationwide about two months ago. Many articles are from ancient times and extremely rare, with several valued at 28 million yuan ($4.24 million) or more.

Sha Zhou, a collector from Shanghai who donated 303 articles, said he's very glad to donate his works for charity. "I'm glad that I could do something to help others through my art collection," he said, explaining that he cherishes each of the precious works but selling them for charity really makes him "feel happy."

All the pieces will be auctioned after the exhibition, with all money raised going to the China Women's Development Foundation, China Red Cross Society and China Children and Teenager's Fund, to be used on a series of charity projects such as "Water Cellars for Mothers," which aims at building cellars to guarantee safe drinking water in remote rural places.

The exhibition runs through April 18 and the time and venue of the auction will be fixed after the exhibition is closed, according to the organizer.