Three different but interrelated exhibitions, "Historical Encounters - Ancient Civilizations of China and West Asia", "Brilliant Persia - The Essence of Iranian Cultural Relics Exhibition" and "AlUla - Miracle Oasis of the Arabian Peninsula", were opened at the Wumen Exhibition Hall of the Palace Museum at the end of the year and the beginning of the year.
A historical encounter
-- Exchange Exhibition of Ancient Civilizations between China and West Asia
The "Historical Encounters: Ancient Civilizations Exchange Exhibition between China and West Asia" will be held from January 12 to April 11, 2024 in the exhibition hall of the main hall of Wumen.
Located at the eastern and western ends of the Asian continent, China and West Asia have known each other since ancient times. Since the prehistoric era, the exchange of agriculture, animal husbandry and handicrafts between the two places, and the mutual learning of art and culture, have been collected in historical collections and integrated into life. The ancient civilizations of China and West Asia jointly built the glory of the Silk Road and led to the common prosperity of the civilizations of the Eurasian continent. The exhibition is divided into two units: "East and West" and "The Road Connects". The "East and West" unit shows the history of the encounter between China and West Asia through documents, and uses cultural relics to show the origin of Chinese civilization and its basic characteristics of "ritual order, music and heaven and earth", and unveils the historical prelude to civilization exchanges. The "Connecting Roads" unit presents the exchanges and mutual learning between China and the ancient civilizations of West Asia in terms of technology, art, culture and thought, tells the story of China on the Silk Road, and demonstrates the inclusive and innovative cultural characteristics of Chinese civilization.
The exhibits are based on the collection of the Palace Museum, bringing together the representative collections of 10 domestic and foreign archaeological and cultural institutions including Datong Museum, Inner Mongolia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, Dongguan Museum, Hepu County Museum, Famen Temple Museum, Zhengzhou Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Nanyue King Museum, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum, and the National Museum of Iran, with a total of 266 pieces (groups). The exhibits range from the Neolithic Age to the Ming and Qing dynasties, covering bronze, gold and silver, jade, glass, ceramics, fabrics, furniture, sculptures and other categories. Among them, the Yangshao culture ivory carving silkworm unearthed from the Shuanghuai tree site in Zhengzhou, Henan, the Western Han silver box unearthed from the tomb of the Nanyue King in Guangdong, the Tang Dynasty carved blue glass plate unearthed from the underground palace of Famen Temple in Shaanxi, the Tang Dynasty knight pattern brocade unearthed from the Astana cemetery in Turpan, Xinjiang, the bronze dragon head knife of the Shang Dynasty in the collection of the Palace Museum, the jade grape bonsai of the red lacquer basin of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, and the blue and white dragon pattern celestial ball bottle of the National Museum of Iran and many other exquisite cultural relics are worth paying attention to.
Brilliant Persia
- The Essence of Iranian Antiquities
Organized by the Palace Museum, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Crafts of Iran, and the National Museum of Iran, the exhibition will be held from January 12 to April 11, 2024 at the exhibition hall of the East Yanyi Tower at Wumen.
Iran is located in West Asia, is an ancient civilization with a long history, the prehistoric culture can be traced back to hundreds of thousands of years ago, and the Achaemenid Dynasty, Parthian Dynasty, Sassanid Dynasty and so on have a wide influence in the world. In Chinese historical records, it was called "rest" in the Western Han Dynasty, and "Persia" after the Northern and Southern Dynasties. As a necessary place for exchanges between the East and the West, Iranian art has integrated the cultural elements of different ethnic groups, and has achieved remarkable results in many fields, influencing many countries and regions in Eurasia.
The exhibition is divided into two sections: "Inclusive Beauty" and "East-West Connection", bringing together 216 cultural relics collected by many museums in Iran. From palace buildings to living room furniture, from palace treasures to daily utensils, from painting art to writing, through architecture, sculpture, ceramics, glass, metal, calligraphy, painting and other cultural relics, it shows the immortal charm of ancient Iranian art, and shows the glorious and magnificent material cultural heritage left by the ancient Persian civilization in exchanges and mutual learning.
AlUla
- The Wonder Oasis of the Arabian Peninsula
AlUla – The Wonder Oasis of the Arabian Peninsula" is jointly organized by the Royal Commission of AlUla of Saudi Arabia and the Palace Museum, and supported by the French Agency for the Development of AlUla and is open to the public from January 6 to March 22, 2024 in the exhibition hall of the West Wing Tower of Wumen.
The AlUla region is an oasis in a valley in Saudi Arabia in a desert environment where humans have lived for 7,000 years, leaving behind a large number of archaeological sites. One of the most well-known sites, Hegra, was the first site in Saudi Arabia to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The exhibition is divided into four sections: "From Prehistory to the Bronze Age", "The Northern Kingdoms of the Arabian Peninsula", "Writing and Language", and "Modern AlUla", which explain how human beings have transformed the harsh living environment here and how they have been affected by the environment to create a "spectacle" here. The exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to get up close and personal with Saudi Arabia's culture, showcasing AlUla's spectacular natural landscapes, rare archaeological artifacts and rich cultural heritage in a spectacular and immersive experience.
The exhibition can be visited with tickets to the Palace Museum, and visitors can make real-name reservations through the "Palace Museum" WeChat mini-program.
**: CCTV news client
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