Wang Kaihao

tematically look for certain types of coins, you find many voids in your collection. That encouraged me to communicate more with overseas collectors,” he says.

According to him, more than 200 exhibits are from ancient China’s central kingdoms, and about 60 are from Xiyu (the western regions), a term used to describe the numerous regimes, which existed from the third century BC to the eighth century AD in today’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and Central Asia.

Two coins, which were found in Hotan, Xinjiang, called “Hotan horse money”, are his favorites and among the exhibits. They are from between the first and third century AD, and Jin says there are only about 200 such coins in existence.

“These coins are a good example of communication between East and West,” he says.

On one side of the coin, there is an image of a sacred horse, which is rooted in Bactrian culture (from Afghanistan), plus a Kharosthi script (a distinct language once used in Pakistan and Afghanistan) and it was made using a Greek molding method.

On the other side of the coin, there are Chinese characters, and the weight of the copper coin is defined by zhu, a measurement unit from the Han Dynasty.

Pei Manyi, curator of the exhibition, says: “We often find three or four languages on one coin. This proves that the currency was used by several countries.”

Pei adds that the coins also provide crucial evidence when studying myths, religions, craftsmanship and linguistics along the ancient Silk Road.

The exhibition is a part of a series of displays on the Silk Road at the gallery.

In March, an exhibition on the Mogao Caves, a crossroads on the Silk Road in Dunhuang, Gansu province, was staged there, at the start of its tour around the world.

The coin event is also scheduled to be taken to countries along the Silk Road, as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

He Ruzhen, who launched the program, says: “In ancient times, Chinese people used porcelain and tea to trade in goods along the Silk Road before using money. Today, we’d like to use these cultural linkages to stir emotional resonance among people in countries along the Belt and Road. More cultural exhibitions will help.”

Contact the writer at wangkaihao@ chinadaily.com.cn