By Zhao Anqi/China Youth Daily
The new special exhibition "The Origins of Chinese Civilisation" will be open to the public from September 25, 2024 to February 7, 2025 at the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
The exhibition highlights the astounding achievements of the "Origins of Chinese Civilisation Project" through its empirical evidence for the history of 5,000-year Chinese civilisation. In 2002, China launched the "Origins of Chinese Civilisation Project", a national-level research project to trace the origins of Chinese civilisation and has confirmed a remarkable cultural continuum evincing "diversity in unity" and ongoing development over the course of more than 5,000 years. This highly anticipated exhibition at the HKPM highlights the achievements of two decades of comprehensive research, which involved large-scale archaeological surveys and in-depth investigations into the origins, formation, and development of Chinese civilisation.
With substantial support from National Cultural Heritage Administration and a group of leading archaeological institutions and museums in China, "The Origins of Chinese Civilisation" provides one of the most comprehensive overviews of the origins of Chinese civilisation in recent years. With new historical and cultural insights, this exhibition is divided into three sections, with each presenting the origins, formation, and development of Chinese civilisation respectively.
The exhibition features around 110 rare archaeological finds and significant treasures on loan from 14 major cultural institutions in Hong Kong and the Mainland, including 16 grade-one national treasures. These spectacular loans represent nine archaeological cultures and nine major archaeological sites across the country. They come from a variety of regions, including Beijing, Gansu, Liaoning, Anhui, Zhejiang, Shandong, Hubei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, and Hong Kong. The treasures on display include ceramics, jades, stone sculptures, bone objects, bronze objects, and more. Nearly all the loans are displayed in Hong Kong for the first time.
It is worth noting that the exhibition's storytelling is supported by various innovative multimedia displays utilising new technologies. A key highlight is a multimedia installation that reconstructs the Shimao archaeological site, known as one of the largest prehistoric stone cities in China, and provides the audience with a transporting immersive experience. HKPM will offer robust educational programmes designed for students, families, and the general public alike. These include family archaeological workshops with hands-on experience to deepen the participants' understanding of various aspects of archaeological work and rich cultural heritage of China. In addition, the museum will invite leading experts to share their knowledge and insights at public lectures on topics such as the origins of Chinese civilisation and the latest advances in Chinese archaeology.
The exhibition is jointly organised by the HKPM and Art Exhibitions China, and sponsored by Bank of China (Hong Kong), the Museum's strategic partner.
