Exhibition of ancient bronzes in Hong Kong illuminates culture, history
Xinhua Precious items from Central China highlight civilization spanning three dynasties
During her five-day study trip to Central China’s Henan pro vince in April last year, Chun Wai-wa marveled at the high degree of development of ancient Chinese civilization while exploring the ruins of cities dating back 2,000 to 4,000 years.
“How can I pass on my deep feeling to the audience in Hong Kong?” pondered Chun, assistant curator of the Hong Kong Museum of History, as she and her colleagues crafted plans for the first exhibition of the General History of China Series.
One year later, more than 150 sets of cultural relics from 15 institutions in eight cities in Henan have been transported south to Hong Kong and are on display in the museum of history from April 3 to July 8, telling the story of Chinese civilization in this international metropolis.
Central plains origins
Titled Center of the World, the exhibition aims to trace the origin of Chinese civilization, focusing on the Xia (c.21st century-16th century
BC), Shang (c.16th century-11th century BC) and Zhou (c.11th century256BC), the three earliest dynasties in Chinese history, which are collectively referred to as the Bronze Age.
But why Henan? According to Hui Siu-mui, curator of the HKMH, Henan houses the ruins of the capitals of all three dynasties, and numerous cultural relics have been unearthed in the region.
The Hong Kong curators’ idea was echoed by their Henan counterparts as soon as the latter was contacted.
“We have always paid great attention to cultural exchanges via relics, as it is a good way to vividly tell the story of Chinese civilization,” said Ren Wei, director of the Henan Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage.
Cultural relics from Henan embodied the essence of Chinese civilization and could definitely unleash unique charm in Hong Kong, where diversified cultures exchange and blend with one another, Ren added.
Upon returning to Hong Kong, Chun and her colleagues started going through a large amount of photos, videos and documents collected during their trip to Henan and picked out the most representative relics to piece together a holistic picture of China’s Bronze Age.
A total of 15 institutions coordinated, and finally agreed to offer collections, including large and complete sets of bronze, jade and bone wares, pottery, and oracle bones. It’s noteworthy that 33 items are grade-one national treasures and about 40 items are on display outside Henan for the first time. As both the Hong Kong and Henan teams aimed to display more of the latest achievements in Chinese archaeology, there are also 44 items unearthed after the year 2000.
A lot of details of the exhibition also demonstrate the joint efforts made by the two sides during a year of intensive cooperation. For instance, to provide high-definition pictures for the catalog, the Henan team made efforts to find a venue suitable to take a group photo of a huge set of bronze ritual objects.
Relics head south
After nearly a year of preparation, relics from all over Henan arrived at the Henan Museum this March for transportation south.
Many of the exhibits are “popular stars” with a tight exhibition schedule. As a result, the handover was limited to only three and a half days. Experts from both sides checked and meticulously recorded every detailed feature of each item.
It was the first time Wong YunChiu, assistant curator from the Conservation Office of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, had handled so many ancient bronzes.
“I learned some traditional as
Immersive experience
Apart from works related directly to those cultural relics, it was also a priority for the Hong Kong curators to find simple and interesting ways to illustrate to visitors history that dates back thousands of years.
The exhibition is supplemented by several multimedia devices to achieve this. At the entrance of the exhibition hall, visitors can view a short video summarizing the history of the three dynasties.
Illustrations are placed beside certain exhibits to explain their features or related stories. There is even an interactive video in the display area of some oracle bones well as innovative restoration that allows people to experience methods from my Henan peers,” the divination ritual of the Shang Wong said, adding that chemical Dynasty. analysis adopted at the Henan On the first two days of the Museum reinterpreted the exhibition, the Huaxia Ancient bronze-casting techniques of Music Orchestra of the Henan ancient times. Museum staged an ancient Chinese
To safely ship the precious items, musical performance for a number of packaging boxes were Hong Kong visitors. Dressed in customized in special sizes and traditional Chinese clothing, shapes. Every step of the transportation process was examined again actors played ancient tones recorded in historical documents and again. using musical instruments that
The lid of the Wangziwu Ding of imitated ancient ones. the Spring and Autumn Period, Other programs on the fringe having been evaluated by experts of the exhibition in the upcoming to be in a rather months fragile state, was include forums, left behind in Henan. A ding is a holding lectures, and handicraft workshops, vessel from organized ancient times. jointly by Hong
“It pained us to Kong and Henan. make the decision,” A study trip of Chun said, Hong Kong history “but the ‘blessing teachers to in disguise’ may be Henan is scheduled for June. that the audience can view the By April 22, the inscriptions inside exhibition had the ding without welcomed around its lid.” 39,000 visitors.
The display Launched by arrangement also the Chinese Culture highlighted the Promotion security of the relics. Office of the “Based upon HKSAR government in collaboration with the that consideration, we then figured out the best ways that allow HKMH, the exhibitions of the the audience to appreciate the General History of China Series time-honored craftsmanship,” will last five years and display Wong said. historical relics of significant
During the exhibition, the condition periods in chronological order. of the cultural relics is A ding of the Western Zhou monitored by Wong and his colleagues Dynasty (c.11th century-771 BC), around the clock, with with an old label stuck to it, key indicators including temperature, humidity, the intensity of stands out among the exhibits. It has been deliberately kept illuminance and the impurity as a witness of the story of people level of the environment. protecting cultural relics
“The suitable humidity of from gunfire during the War of bronze wares is under 40 percent. Resistance against Japanese As for oracle bones, it Aggression (1931-45). should be a little higher than 50 Hui said through the exhibition, “We want to show to the percent,” Wong explained, adding that close attention was paid audience not only the ancient to this as Hong Kong is much Chinese civilization, but also its more humid than Henan. inheritance and transmission.”
A bronze a cooking vessel, on display