Hong Kong Palace Museum Exhibition Countdown | Tracing the Origins of Chinese Civilization
"Tracing the Origins of Chinese Civilization" is the most anticipated exhibition in Hong Kong during the Lunar New Year. I finally got to see it before the exhibition ended. This is one of the rare special exhibitions in recent years that comprehensively introduces the origin, formation, and early development of Chinese civilization.
"Tracing the Origins of Chinese Civilization" is on display at Gallery 8, 3F, Hong Kong Palace Museum from September 25, 2024 to February 7, 2025. About 110 precious cultural relics from the Neolithic Age to the Xia Dynasty are on display, including 16 first-class cultural relics. The exhibits come from 14 museums and archaeological institutions in 10 provinces and cities, focusing on important archaeological discoveries in China in the past two decades.
The exhibition is divided into three sections: "Nurturing - The Beginning of Civilization", "Blossoming - The Development of Ancient Civilization", and "Inheritance - The Beginning of the Dynasty Era". It brings together precious cultural relics from nine major archaeological cultures and nine major archaeological sites in the three major river basins of the Liao River, Yellow River, and Yangtze River, including the Xipo Site, Niuheliang Site, Lingjiatan Site, Liangzhu Site, Jiaojiapo Site, Shijiahe Site, Taosi Site, Shimao Site, and Erlitou Site.
Representative cultural relics from the nine major sites are as follows:
1️⃣ Yangshao Culture (Figure 3)
⭐ Flower and leaf pattern round-bottomed pot, circle grid pattern basin
2️⃣ Hongshan Culture (Figures 4-6)
⭐ Jade dragon
⭐ Jade pig dragon
⭐ Jade seated figure, hook cloud-shaped jade pendant, double beast (owl) jade pendant, jade turtle
3️⃣ Lingjiatan Culture (Figure 7)
⭐ Jade huang, jade adze, jade yue
4️⃣ Liangzhu Culture (Figures 8-10)
⭐ Jade cong
⭐ Divine beast pattern jade cong
⭐ Jade bi
5️⃣ Dawenkou Culture (Figures 11, 12)
⭐ White pottery gui
⭐ Cicada-shaped jade ring, jade bracelet, jade earrings
6️⃣ Shijiahe Culture (Figures 13, 14)
⭐ Pottery figure holding fish, pottery dog, pottery elephant, pottery turtle, pottery chicken
⭐ Jade tiger head, jade bird, jade cicada, jade human head, jade beast head ornament
7️⃣ Taosi Culture (Figure 15)
⭐ Pottery drum, pottery jia, pottery pot
8️⃣ Shimao Culture (Figure 16)
⭐ Stone carving of a god facing a tiger, stone carving
9️⃣ Erlitou Culture (Figures 17, 18)
⭐ Bronze jia
⭐ Bronze bell, bronze jue