Exhibition: A new exhibition about how Tokyo and Beijing grew during the 18th century is the result of a new cultural exchange framework.
A new exhibition at the Capital Museum about Tokyo and Beijing’s development in the 18th-century is the result of a new cultural exchange framework, Wang Kaihao reports
The two capital cities of Beijing and Edo (today’s Tokyo) were at the zenith of civilization in East Asia during the 18th century. Their urban histories can be explored at an ongoing exhibition at Beijing’s Capital Museum which offers an up-close look at daily life in both cities back then.
About 180 artifacts are being displayed at The Metropolises and the Prosperities within Edo and Beijing in the 18th Century to tell this tale of two cities. Two thirds of the exhibits are on loan from the Tokyo Metropolitan Edo-Tokyo Museum in the Japanese capital, while the rest come from the collections of the Capital Museum. The exhibition will run through Oct 7.
“From the big picture of city planning, to residents’ lives, to the abundance of art,” says Zhang Liang, curator of the exhibition, “we want to show the different dimensions and facets of Beijing and Edo during their peak.
“People will then be able to understand their similarities and unique characteristics at that time,” she says.
In the 18th century, Beijing was flourishing under the reigns of emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (16441911). Edo was similarly blossoming as the seat of power of the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868.
“Edo went through a peaceful period during this time and developed into a metropolis, with an estimated population of more than a million residents,” says Terunobu Fujimori, director of Edo-Tokyo Museum. “Although Japan adapted an isolationist policy at that time, communication ties between China and Japan were never severed.”
In the opening section of the exhibition, models, pictures, and constructional components reveal how the two cities grew into metropolises. Yet, no matter how grand a city is, its life is always defined by its people. And for this reason the second section detailing urban life has become one of the highlights of the exhibition.
There are a wide range of exhibits on display, including shop signboards, daily-use articles, items showing festive celebrations and children’s toys — to name just a few.
Zhang recommends a key scroll painting from 1805, which depicts busy streets near Nihonbashi during the Edo period. In comparison, another Chinese painting portrays the long parade celebrating the 60th birthday of Emperor Kangxi, and also shows the scene from the Gate of Devine Prowess (the north gate of the Forbidden City) all the way up to today’s Haidian district via Xizhimen.
“In both paintings, we can see numerous figures and complex street scenes,” the curator says. “They are crucial references to study social development at that time.”
Separately, to compliment a Qing Dynasty picture album recording 500 kinds of jobs in old Beijing on display, a Japanese painting from the 19th century showing the different vocations in Edo at the time reflect the city’s booming economy.
“One interesting thing is that we find ‘monkey men’ in both pictures,” Zhang says. “This can help us compare forms of public entertainment in the two ancient cities.”
“Monkey men” refers to street performers who train monkeys to act as their buddies in shows.
Similarities occur in many other exhibits. For example, the Tu’er Ye (Rabbit God) is a commonly-seen mascot of good fortune in the folk culture of Beijing, and the rabbit god is also an important cultural emblem in Japan.
As is the red-crowned crane. The curator picks out a pair of costumes to illustrate his point: a typical robe worn by high-ranking Qing official in Beijing and a woman’s pink kimono. Both have images of cranes on them to convey an auspicious meaning, but their usage also still shows that their specific cultural contexts differ.
“And you can also see images of Zhinu (the Weaver Girl) in Chinese mythology on many Japanese exhibits,” Zhang adds. “But they have been adapted into the Japanese style.”
In Chinese culture, Zhinu and her husband Niulang (the Cowherd) are symbols of undying love.
For the third section on fine art, the exhibits show the state-of-the-art techniques used in Japanese lacquer ware made by master artisans, such as a folding screen (byobu) of a landscape of the Sumida River in Edo.
According to Zhang, it took five years to prepare for the exhibition, which is the result of a recent crossborder joint framework.
In 2002, the Capital Museum, Edo-Tokyo Museum, and Seoul Museum of History in South Korea, launched a cooperation to rotate holding academic symposiums. In 2007, the Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum in Liaoning province also joined the framework.
The opening of The Metropolises and the Prosperities within Edo and Beijing in the 18th Century on Aug 14 marks this year’s symposium in Beijing, where the various museum share their experiences of operating museums and discuss new approaches.
And holding exchange exhibitions has been added to the framework in recent years.
From February to April, 2017, the first round of the exchange exhibitions between China and Japan was held at the Edo-Tokyo Museum, in which collections from the Capital Museum played a major role.
“It was a meaningful start to have a comparative display of the city development between Beijing and Tokyo,” says Fujimori from the EdoTokyo Museum. “It was even better to see it warmly welcomed by so many young people.”
More than 44,000 people visited that exhibition in its 44-day duration.
“Due to the language barrier and different systems, it is not easy to stage mutual exchange exhibitions,” Fujimori says. “But our efforts will contribute to helping people from the two cities to improve mutual understanding and friendship.
“I’d be really glad if the exhibition in Beijing will make more Chinese people interested in the history of Sino-Japanese cultural communications,” he says.
According to Zhang, it took five years to prepare for the exhibition, which is the result of a recent cross-border joint framework.