Over 100 precious artifacts spanning 5,800 years of history will be displayed at the Hong Kong Palace Museum starting Wednesday, in one of the most comprehensive exhibitions showcasing the origins and early development of Chinese civilization.

The city’s cultural experts said they hope that the exhibition — one of the city’s celebratory events for the forthcoming National Day — could help young people delve into the evolution of Chinese culture and help them foster a deeper appreciation for traditional values.

Considered as one of the most comprehensive overviews of the formation and early development of the Chinese civilization, the exhibition will run from Wednesday until Feb 7, 2025.

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It will showcase nearly 110 precious objects from 14 major cultural institutions in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. These artifacts span from Neolithic times to the Xia Dynasty, showcasing the lives of ancestors from over 5,800 years ago. Nearly all the treasures are being displayed in Hong Kong for the first time.

Sixteen of the exhibits are grade-one national treasures, including a jade dragon from mid-to-late Hongshan culture (6,000–5,000 BP), which is considered the original representation of the image of a dragon in China.

Other notable objects include a jade tortoise and a seated human figure, both unearthed from the Niuheliang site in Liaoning province and attributed to the mid-to-late Hongshan culture, reflecting the unique custom of burying the deceased with jade items.

Describing the traditional culture as the “roots” and soul of the Chinese nation, Louis Ng Chi-wa, director of Hong Kong Palace Museum, said he hopes that the exhibition can provide an opportunity for residents to learn more about Chinese culture and history.

He said he would like residents to enhance their cultural confidence through understanding the origins and development of Chinese civilization and witnessing its continuity, innovation, and inclusiveness.

Henry Tang Ying-yen, chairman of the board of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, said the exhibition will offer a compelling glimpse into the lives of the ancestors of the Chinese nation, who laid the foundations for the enduring Chinese lineage that continues to this day.

He added that a rich civilization emerged through the convergence, integration, and interaction of diverse groups and regions. He said he hopes visitors, especially students and young people, will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the origins and development of Chinese culture, thus fostering a greater sense of cultural confidence and pride.

Tan Ping, director of Art Exhibition China — the co-organizer of the exhibition — noted that the exhibition also includes precious cultural relics unearthed in Hong Kong. Aiming to explore the developmental pattern of “diversity in unity” that has shaped Chinese civilization over the centuries, the exhibition also paints a vivid picture of the connectedness and shared cultural roots between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.

To better display these precious cultural relics, the exhibition also uses a wealth of multimedia technology. For instance, the exhibition brings the ancient Shimao site to life through a 270-degree panoramic multimedia project, with acclaimed Hong Kong singer and actor Julian Cheung Chi-lam narrating the audio guide and leading visitors through the ancient site.

This will allow visitors to immerse themselves while exploring this Neolithic city, which used to be the largest city in East Asia from 4,300 to 3,800 BP. The ancient site is located in Shaanxi province and ranks as one of the most important archaeological discoveries in 21st-century China.

Cheung said that the exhibition showcases numerous magnificent archaeological sites as well as a diverse array of significant treasures, highlighting the material and spiritual lives of Chinese ancestors and their substantial contribution to a human civilization as a whole. He invited everyone to visit the exhibition and explore the splendor of Chinese civilization.

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As a father, he said that he hopes that more young people can learn how to appreciate Chinese culture, as well as the beauty of Cantonese culture, adding that these precious cultural assets are worth passing down through generations.

In 2023, 120 Bronze Age artifacts from the Sanxingdui archaeological site in Sichuan province, including artifacts of bronze, jade, gold and pottery dating from 2,600 to 4,500 years ago were also displayed in the museum.

This exhibition has garnered significant attention within the city, attracting over 227,000 visitors during its three-and-a-half-month run, with an average of around 2,500 visitors per day.

Contact the writer at amberwu@chinadailyhk.com