The Hong Kong Museum of History is displaying some 120 artifacts unearthed at 20-plus archaeological sites in nine mainland provinces from July 25 till September 24, marking the first public exhibition for many of the pieces.

Jointly presented by State Administration of Culture Heritage and the Leisure and Culture Services Department of Hong Kong, the exhibition celebrates the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China.

The artifacts, which come from time periods raning from the Neolithic period to the Qing Dynasty, are being shown in four exhibits, the Origins of Chinese Civilization, the Splendor of the Imperial Tomb Finds, the Delightful Charm of the Tang Dynasty and Underwater Treasures. Highlights include rarely-seen gold and silver wares, bronze pieces, pottery figures, lacquer wares, well-carved jade ornaments, and Buddhist relics.

The museum is also hosting lectures on Chinese archaeology, including talks on oceanic archaeology around Hong Kong, the excavation of South Han Dynasty tombs, and the royal life of the Han Dynasty.

Highlight Exhibits

Bronze "Lai" pan basin

Strongly recommended by the curator Ming Ji, the Bronze "Lai" pan basin of the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 B.C.) has 21 lines of inscription, making it a significant piece. There are 17 to 19 words in each line and 372 words in total. The "Lai" pan basin bears the longest inscription of Western Zhou bronze vessels excavated in China.

Jade burial suit sewn with silver threads

A jade burial suit sewn with silver threads from the Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.-24 A.D.) was excavated from the tomb of Liuhe in Huoshan, Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province in 1996. During the Han Dynasty, a jade burial suit was an indispensable funerary object. Different materials were used according the dead person's social status. Only the emperor had the privilege of wearing a jade burial suit sewn with gold threads. When dukes died, they could wear a jade burial suit made with silver threads. While the aristocrats and the royal princess died, they were only permitted to wear a jade burial suit sewn with copper.

Gilt bronze seated Buddha with dragon post

A gilt bronze seated Buddha with a dragon post from the Five Dynasties period (907-960 A.D.), was excavated from the crypt of the Leifeng Pagoda in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province in 2001. The statue has a design that is rarely seen, juxtaposing a dragon motif, a symbol of Chinese culture, with Buddhism, a foreign culture. The Buddha figure is solid proof of the confluence of Chinese and foreign cultures and is of high research value.

(Chinaculture.org July 27, 2007)