As the first exhibition of the Palace Museum in the beginning of 2022, on January 25, under the guidance of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the "Why China" exhibition organized by the Palace Museum and the Central Radio and Television Corporation and 29 museums opened in the Wenhua Hall of the Palace Museum. The exhibition will span important festivals such as the Spring Festival, the Beijing Winter Olympics, and the Qingming Festival until the beginning of May, and will provide the public with a rich and wonderful cultural feast with a grand vision of topic selection, a smooth exhibition narrative, a new content expression, and an exhibition form with the characteristics of the Forbidden City.
This exhibition regards the long-standing and profound Chinese civilization as a big river, and compares the origin, inheritance and development of civilization to the source, flow and confluence of the river. With the three units of "source", "flow" and "convergence", it shows the cultural characteristics of Chinese civilization as diverse, integrated, continuous and inclusive, expounds the historical context of the origin and development of Chinese civilization, the brilliant achievements of Chinese civilization, and the major contributions of Chinese civilization to human civilization, and summarizes and clearly presents why the land of China is China, why the Chinese nation is great, and why Chinese civilization is immortal.
There are three sections under each of the three units, which are combined into "nine chapters". The first unit "Source", divided into three sections: "Between Heaven and Earth", "Born in The Beginning", and "Foundation of Enlightenment", begins with a geographical analysis of China, explains the motives of the productive forces of Chinese civilization, and uses China's unique material culture to show the philosophical ideas, values, and institutional systems contained in it, thus laying the foundation for the unification of the multi-ethnic state; the second unit, "Flow", is divided into three sections: "Blood Dependence", "Harmony and Solidarity", respectively, explaining that Chinese civilization through the exchange and integration of various ethnic groups in the region, and the reflection and mutual learning with extraterritorial civilizations. Dialogue and interaction with all natural things, the glorious course of building the Chinese national community, the community of human destiny, and the community of life on the earth; the third unit, "Hui", is divided into three sections: "People's Ben Bangning", "Gewu Restoration" and "Convergence Chengjian", which respectively explain the traditional concept of the Chinese nation's respect for benevolence and courtesy, the unity of home and country, the pursuit of the ultimate and innovative spirit of exploration, the Chinese wisdom of the continuous context and the convergence of culture and culture, which not only shows the excellent achievements of Chinese culture in a large way, but also more clearly reveals that all civilization history is created by the people and enjoyed by the people. People's heritage.
This exhibition exhibits a total of more than 130 pieces/sets of precious cultural relics, from the Upper Stone Age to the Qing Dynasty, including stone tools, ceramics, jade, bronzes, gold and silverware, calligraphy and painting, ancient books, seals and other categories (limited by the exhibition hall environment, most of the paper and silk cultural relics are reproductions), including He Zun, Changxin Palace lamps, Tibetan "Four Medical Classics" and other well-known national treasures. Due to the impact of the new crown epidemic, the cultural relics of some museums in Henan and Shaanxi have not been exhibited at the opening ceremony, and will be supplemented during the exhibition period in the future as appropriate.
Wenyuan Pavilion on the north side of the Wenhua Hall will also be the last "exhibit" of this exhibition, echoing the last cultural relics in the Wenhua Hall exhibition hall, "Four Libraries complete book" (printed materials). Wenyuan Pavilion is the largest royal library in the Qing Palace, completed in the forty-first year of Qianlong (1776), and collected here after the completion of the first "Four Libraries". In the middle of the hall on the first floor of Wenyuan Pavilion, there is a plaque of "Convergence Chengjian".
Since this exhibition originated from the creativity and efforts of holding a special exhibition in the "National Treasures" program, the Central Radio and Television Corporation, as one of the organizers of the exhibition, gave great support and assistance to the special exhibition. In addition to the main exhibition, the West Side Hall of the Mandarin Hall simultaneously exhibits a derivative group exhibition of "National Treasures and Performance Season" launched by the Literary and Art Program Center of the General Station, and the exhibits are 12 "National Treasure Identity Cards" created for the national treasures created by the intangible cultural heritage and local folklore of each of them.
In the Forbidden City Wenhua Hall to hold the "Why China" exhibition, reflecting the inheritance and development of Chinese civilization and vigorous vitality, it is reported that the national cultural and expo system will focus on this main line, hold a series of boutique exhibitions and related activities, "Why China" exhibition opened, for the series of activities officially opened.
Text/Beijing Youth Daily reporter Wang Yan
Photo / Beijing Youth Daily reporter Li Na
Editor/Cui Wei