Trace the origins of civilization and feel the charm of early Chinese civilization

"The Origin of Civilization: An Exploration of Early Chinese Civilization" is a major cross-year exhibition at the Beijing Minsheng Art Museum and a continuation of the "Civilization Series" planned in recent years. The exhibition covers 13 major archaeological discoveries, from the Chinese jade dragon of Hongshan to the painted pottery of Yangshao, from the mystery of the bronze masks of Sanxingdui to the spiritual connection of the jade artifacts of Liangzhu, from the oracle bones of Yinxu to the small seal script of the Yishan stele. More than 400 exhibits from the Palace Museum, Shaanxi History Museum, Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Liangzhu Museum, Erlitou Site Museum of the Xia Capital, Yinxu Museum, Sanxingdui Museum, and other museums outline the key stages of the origin, formation, and early development of Chinese civilization, aiming to present a mysterious and magnificent early China. Food is the most important thing for the people, and Chinese civilization is based on agriculture, so the exhibition begins with planting. More than 6,000 years ago, the Hemudu culture in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River had large-scale rice fields covering tens of thousands of square meters. The stone millstones and stone grinding rods from the Hongshan culture period in the exhibition prove the extent to which people processed grains at that time. Chinese civilization showed abundant creativity during its origin and formation period. Since the invention of pottery about 20,000 years ago, pottery-making technology has been continuously innovated and developed, forming the pottery groups we see today that represent the characteristics of different periods and regions. The Yangshao culture human face fish pattern basin was unearthed at the Banpo site in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, and is usually considered the lid of a child's urn coffin. The black pottery cup with a handle from the Liangzhu culture was a high-tech product at that time. In the early development map of Chinese civilization, the Hongshan culture in the Liao River basin in the north developed earlier. The unique ritual culture, jade culture, and dragon culture became the key codes for exploring the early civilization of the Hongshan culture. Jade bi and jade cong are the most important jade ritual artifacts representing the Liangzhu culture, indicating the superb mining and jade-making technology of the Liangzhu ancestors. The establishment of dynasties is a milestone in the origin of Chinese civilization, marking China's official entry into the civilized era. A set of chime bells from the Spring and Autumn period collected by the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. The Donggui from the Fufeng County Museum is the bronze gui with the most inscriptions, with 134 characters cast on the inside of the lid and the inner wall of the abdomen, recording a war that occurred 3,000 years ago in detail. A large number of carved symbols can be seen on Neolithic pottery, such as the Yangshao culture, Dawenkou culture, Liangzhu culture, Longshan culture, Majiayao culture, etc. The Shang Wuwu divination inscription on a scapula from the Anyang Museum dates back about 3,624-3,070 years and was unearthed in 1973 at the Xiaotun South site in Yinxu, Anyang. The exhibition also features sand table props to display archaeological excavation sites. Four sand tables are set up in the second-floor exhibition hall, representing the Liangzhu, Erlitou, Sanxingdui, and Yinxu sites. Exhibition: The Origin of Civilization: An Exploration of Early Chinese Civilization Venue: Beijing Minsheng Art Museum Exhibition period: October 1, 2024–March 1, 2025 Time: 10:00–18:00 (closed on Mondays)