Ancient Chinese relics showcased

In collaboration with the Chinese Culture Promotion Office, the Museum of History will launch the first large-scale exhibition of the General History of China Series, the Ancient Civilisation of the Xia, Shang & Zhou Dynasties in Henan Province, to give visitors an insight into China's ancient civilization and history.

The exhibition will run from today (April 3) until July 8, with free admission.

The Leisure & Cultural Services Department said the exhibition features over 150 sets/items of cultural relics, of which 33 are grade-one national treasures and about 40 are on display outside Henan Province for the first time. The artefacts include large and complete sets of bronze ware, jade ware, pottery, bone ware and oracle bones from the collections of the Henan Museum as well as a dozen other museums and cultural institutions in the province.

Highlight exhibits include antiques from the Henan Museum's collection, such as a bronze wine vessel from the Xia dynasty, a bronze food vessel from the Shang dynasty, the "Fu Hao" wine vessel with cylindrical foot, and a jade face cover dated to Western Zhou.

The department explained that as ancient people believed jade could prevent the body from decaying, the face cover, comprising 58 jade pieces arranged based on a person's facial structure and sewn onto silk fabrics, was placed over the face of the deceased during burial.

A boar-head-shaped lid of a pottery vessel from the Xia dynasty and the "Fu Yi" wine vessel from Western Zhou will also be on display.

Addressing the opening ceremony today, Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing said the promotion and preservation of Chinese culture are of great significance.

He pointed out that through showcasing the invaluable cultural relics, the exhibition reveals the political, social, rituals and etiquette, and cultural landscapes of the three dynasties, thereby enabling the public to systematically learn about the long Chinese history and context of Chinese culture.

Mr Cheuk added that the Working Group on Patriotic Education to be set up soon will mobilise the strength of the Government, the business sector and the community to deepen patriotic education in a holistic manner.

Following this exhibition, the Museum of History will stage exhibitions every year on historical relics of significant periods in chronological order.

An exhibition on the cultural relics of the Qin and Han dynasties in Guangdong will be launched in 2025. In 2029, the series will conclude with an exhibition celebrating the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the People's Republic of China.