The special exhibition "Treasures of Ancient Shu" is open from today! Sanxingdui and Jinsha cultural relics gathered in Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Dep

Release Time: 2025-02-02

On February 2nd, the special exhibition of cultural relics “Treasures of Ancient Shu - Sanxingdui and Jinsha” was officially opened for free at the Hengqin Culture and Art Center in Guangdong. The center is the first comprehensive large-scale cultural complex in the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone and has developed into a new cultural landmark in the zone.

As a tribute exhibition to the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland, this exhibition brings together 163 collections (groups) (6 of which are first-class) from 6 cultural relics collection units: Sanxingdui Museum, Sichuan Museum, Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum, Sichuan Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute and Chengdu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. The exhibits cover bronzes, gold, jade treasures, etc. from Sanxingdui and Jinsha. Among them, many newly excavated cultural relics from the Sanxingdui site were also seen to the public for the first time in the exhibition.

The exhibition is guided by the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration and Guangdong Cultural Heritage Administration, and co-sponsored by the Executive Committee of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone, the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone Work Office of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province and the Macao Foundation.

6 culture and museum institutes in Sichuan on group business trip, start “One Exhibition, Two Places”

As the two most important central sites of ancient Shu civilization, Sanxingdui and Jinsha demonstrate the unique urban planning concepts, construction techniques, spiritual beliefs, social life and handicraft techniques of ancient Shu culture, as well as the continuous development and evolution of ancient Shu civilization.

Unearthed artifacts such as bronze statues and jade congs show extensive absorption of cultural factors in the Yellow River Basin, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and other areas, providing more powerful archaeological evidence for the diversity and integration of Chinese civilization and the mutual influence of ancient Shu civilization and the Central Plains civilization. Since 2003, the two sites have joined hands in more than 70 cities around the world, demonstrating this unique and glorious civilization to the world.

This exhibition is the first time that Jinsha and Sanxingdui cultural relics have been exhibited in the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone. The exhibition is divided into four major sections: The Origin of Ancient Shu, Prosperous Ancient Shu, Ancient Shu Remains, and Land of Abundance. It presents the brilliant achievements and development process of ancient Shu civilization to the audience from multiple angles, from the source and formation of ancient Shu civilization, to the magnificent picture of the harmonious coexistence of ancient Shu ancestors and nature and the blending of man and god, to the glorious chapter written by the Bashu civilization and the major transformation that took place under the influence of the Central Plains culture.

The exhibition also specially built a cultural and creative area and a VR experience area, via various forms of multimedia displays, immersive interactive experiences, and 3D printing restoration of cultural relics display, and expert lectures.

In March this year, the exhibition will also simultaneously launch a digital exhibition themed by ancient Shu civilization in Macau, bringing a better public cultural service experience through the innovative model of “one exhibition, two places”.

From Sichuan to Hengqin, the first exhibition of Jinsha Collared Buldged Bi Disk and Trumpet-Shape Gold Object in Guangdong

In this special exhibition, the 32 exhibits from the Jinsha Site Museum are mainly presented in the first part of the exhibition “Prosperous Ancient Shu”, including gold, jade, bronze, stone, pottery and other categories, including 29 first-level, second-level and third-level precious cultural relics. Selected representative cultural relics such as copper eye blisters, copper birds, frog-shaped gold foil, four-section jade cong, stone tigers, stone kneeling figures, and point-bottom pottery cups are displayed, demonstrating the unique sacrificial rituals and spiritual beliefs of the ancient Shu Jinsha ancestors. The three-dimensional round carved stone snake unearthed from the Jinsha site also made a stunning appearance in the exhibition.

Museum, the trumpet-shape gold object (with cirrus cloud pattern) and a 30-cm-long jade zhang were exhibited in Guangdong for the first time, and the Collared Buldged Bi Disk (two color) was even more rare. This collared jade has attracted much attention because of its “different colors on both sides”. Experts analyzed that it was because the burial location was relatively shallow, covered with only a thin layer of soil and a few small beautiful stones, and some of it were even exposed directly on the ground. In this way, the upward side is illuminated by sunlight, forming deep spots; while the places blocked by the beautiful stone form white spots. The downward side retains the grayish-white color of the jade itself because it was not exposed to sunlight, but due to the influence of minerals in the soil, brown and black patches appear. The trumpet-shape gold oject demonstrates the superb gold-making craftsmanship and preference for gold of the ancient Shu ancestors. The Sun and Immortal Birds gold ornament was also unveiled in the form of replica in the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone.

From February 2nd to April 24th, this exhibition will last for three months. The audience can make a free reservation with real name through the “Hengqin Minsheng” WeChat Official Accounts or the “Hengqin Cultural Relics Special Exhibition Ticket Reservation System” WeChat Mini Program. The reservation starts at 00:00 every day. After registration, the audience may enter the venue via reservation QR code and valid reservation ID (original).

（志愿者刘君然译）