Hong Kong holds 'Origins of Chinese Civilization' special exhibition

China

Hong Kong holds 'Origins of Chinese Civilization' special exhibition

2024-10-02 20:18 Last Updated At：20:37

Hong Kong Palace Museum is showcasing artifacts spanning over 5,000 years of Chinese civilization to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Over 100 precious artifacts from the Neolithic times to the Xia Dynasty (2070 BC-1600 BC), China's earliest known dynasty, are being displayed at the special exhibition titled "The Origins of Chinese Civilization", giving visitors a chance to delve into the evolution of Chinese culture.

The cultural relics were curated from 14 museums and archaeological institutions on the Chinese mainland.

"Over the past 20 years, Chinese archaeologists have done a lot of work excavating important sites across China. We now have a much clearer picture of how different regional cultures across China interacted with one another and eventually merged into a cohesive whole," said Raphael Wong, associate curator of the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

Sixteen of the exhibits are listed as grade-one national treasures, including a jade dragon from the mid-to-late Hongshan culture, which existed over 5,000 years ago. It's thought to be the original representation of the image of dragons in China.

The exhibits represent different archaeological cultures from major archaeological sites across China. Many are being exhibited in Hong Kong for the very first time.

A key highlight is a 270-degree panoramic, multimedia experience, bringing to life the ancient Neolithic Shimao site, which used to be the largest city in East Asia nearly 4,500 years ago. The site is located in northwestern Shaanxi Province and is one of the most important archaeological discoveries in China in the 21st century.

"When you do research or you look at photos, you can't tell just how big a city this was. But when you visit you realize how formidable this place was. I wanted to bring that sense of scale of the archaeological site to the visitors at the exhibition in Hong Kong, so that they can feel like it's almost one-to-one in size," said Chao Chan, a multimedia designer with the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

Seeing these precious objects under one roof makes it a profound experience, offering valuable insights into Chinese civilization.

The exhibition will run through February 7, 2025.

South Africans rally in solidarity with Venezuela against U.S. aggression

Demonstrators from civil groups, labor unions and other communities in South Africa rallied outside the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg on Friday, denouncing U.S. unilateral military actions against Venezuela and voicing solidarity with the Latin American nation.

They gathered along the street in front of the consulate, carrying banners that read "Hands Off Venezuela" and "Stop Imperialism," chanting slogans against U.S. hegemony and aggression.

"We are here to protest the U.S. threats to global peace, the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro Moros of Venezuela, which was done in violation of international law, in violation of territorial integrity of Venezuela, of course, in violation of national sovereignty of Venezuela," said Solly Afrika Mapaila, general secretary of the South African Communist Party.

In the early hours of Jan. 3, the United States carried out a military strike against Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, taking them to the United States.

Some protesters said the crisis in Venezuela shows how geopolitical struggles have direct and immediate effects on ordinary people's lives.

"Venezuela belongs to the people of Venezuela and nobody else. For American belligerent and colonial aggression, quite frankly, is not just something very distant. Never before have questions of geopolitics been of immediate and direct relevance and direct and immediate impacts on the day-to-day lives of ordinary people, as you are seeing today," said Mametlwe Sebei, president of the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA).

Placards at the rally blended English and Spanish slogans, while some demonstrators sang liberation songs from South Africa's anti-apartheid era to express solidarity. Passing motorists slowed in front of the consulate, honking in support.

Defying the summer heat, the crowd remained spirited and resolute, their chants echoing along the street in a clear call for an end to foreign interference and respect for Venezuela's sovereignty.