Beijing didn't rock until the mid-1980s and while foreign rock outfits often grab the headlines, local groups have also shone.

A commemorative photography exhibition of this vibrant scene is being shown at Yugong Yishan, one of the most popular live venues in town.

There are nearly 100 photos in the show, all taken by local, female photographer Zhang Luna, who passed away on Sept 18. She was 38. She was diagnosed with Budd-chiari syndrome in March 2009.

To commemorate her rock band photography, the exhibition, titled To Music, With Love, gathers some of her photos from the past five years.

A self-taught photographer who is widely konwn as Luna, she had strong views about the subject.

"You have to be lustful to know how to appreciate the beauty of men and women", she wrote in her notebook. "I don't like continuous shooting, which is like a machine and lacking emotion.

"Beijing's rock circle is like a big family. They are like a bunch of poor brothers bound to each other," she added.

Her fresh style and easy-going personality made her lots of friends in rock circles. Muma, Miserable Faith, and Dragon God held a benefit concert for Luna last month to help her get surgery to cure the liver disease.

The exhibition, which was one of Luna's dreams, was presented at the Modern Sky Music Festival during the National Holiday.

Venue: Yugong Yishan. 3-2 Zhangzizhong Lu (100 m west of Zhangzizhong Lu subway station), Dongcheng district, Beijing

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