Sunday, August 25, 2024 Hong Kong Palace Museum celebrates China’s 75th anniversary with “The Origins of Chinese Civilisation” exhibition, exploring 5,000 years of heritage and culture. In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) is delighted to announce a new special exhibition titled “The Origins of Chinese Civilisation,” presented by Bank of China (Hong Kong). This highly anticipated exhibition will be open to the public from 25 September 2024 through 7 February 2025.
Jointly organized by the HKPM and Art Exhibitions China, and generously sponsored by Bank of China (Hong Kong), the Museum’s strategic partner, this exhibition promises to offer a profound exploration into the rich history of Chinese civilisation. The exhibition celebrates the remarkable findings of the “Origins of Chinese Civilisation Project,” a national research initiative launched in 2002 to trace the origins and development of Chinese civilisation, which spans over 5,000 years. As one of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations, China’s cultural legacy is unparalleled, marked by its unity and diversity over millennia.
The exhibition showcases the extensive research conducted through large-scale archaeological surveys and in-depth studies, shedding light on the origins, formation, and evolution of Chinese civilisation. Following the success of the inaugural exhibition, “Gazing at Sanxingdui: New Archaeological Discoveries in Sichuan,” which ran from 2023 to 2024 and featured 120 artifacts from ancient China, “The Origins of Chinese Civilisation” continues HKPM’s series focused on the theme of the development of Chinese civilisation. This new exhibition underscores the enduring legacy of Chinese culture, characterized by its origins, continuity, inclusiveness, and unity.
Visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to view nearly 110 precious artifacts from 14 major cultural institutions, including 16 grade-one national treasures. These extraordinary items, on loan from significant archaeological sites across China, represent the diverse cultural heritage of regions such as Beijing, Gansu, Liaoning, Anhui, Zhejiang, Shandong, Hubei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, and Hong Kong. For many of these treasures, this exhibition marks their first display in Hong Kong.
The collection includes ceramics, jades, stone sculptures, bronze objects, and more, dating from the mid-to-late Neolithic period to the Xia dynasty, covering approximately 8,200 to 3,500 years before present. Highlights of the exhibition include a cloud-shaped jade plaque from the Hongshan culture, a jade cong-tube from the Liangzhu culture, a jade ring with cicada from the Dawenkou culture, a jade tiger from the Post-Shijiahe culture, and a bronze jia-vessel from the Erlitou culture. Additionally, a jar with plant motifs from the Yangshao culture, a jade dragon from the Hongshan culture, believed to be one of the earliest depictions of a dragon in China, a drum from the Taosi culture, and a stone sculpture from the Shimao archaeological site in Shaanxi province will also be on display.
The exhibition will feature immersive multimedia displays that bring to life the crowning achievements of ancient China. A standout attraction is the multimedia installation that reconstructs the Shimao archaeological site, offering visitors an immersive experience of one of China’s largest prehistoric stone cities. HKPM will also host a variety of educational programs, including hands-on archaeological workshops and public lectures by leading experts, aimed at deepening the public’s understanding of Chinese archaeology and heritage.
“The Origins of Chinese Civilisation” will be held in Gallery 8 of the HKPM from 25 September 2024 to 7 February 2025. Tickets for the exhibition are priced at HK$100 for adults and HK$50 for concessions and will be available for purchase or reservation starting 23 August through the West Kowloon Cultural District’s online ticketing platforms. The Museum also offers a Full Access Ticket, priced at HK$180 for adults and HK$90 for concessions, which grants entry to this exhibition and others within the Museum on the same day.
Through this special exhibition, the Museum aims to engage both local and international visitors, providing them with a deeper appreciation of China’s illustrious cultural achievements..
