Ho Zun
Standing in the East, it thrives on the fertile soil and is reborn in the fire, although it has been through the vicissitudes of the sea and the mulberry fields, it has lasted for eternity and prosperity. From Zhoukoudian to Hemudu, from Yangshao to Qin and Han unification, from Jin and Tang dynasties to Ming and Qing elegance, the land of Shenzhou carries the only uninterrupted original civilization in human history. It is like a big river that runs endlessly, starting from a trickle, melting and growing along the way, nourishing the vast land and people, becoming eternal and immortal.
Why is the life of Chinese civilization so tenacious? Why is the connotation of Chinese civilization so broad? Why China has become a grand proposition for the descendants of Yan Huang to question their hearts. The special exhibition "Why China" held at the Wenhua Hall of the Palace Museum brings more than 130 exquisite cultural relics from 30 museums across the country to explain this proposition, interpret the origin and development of Chinese civilization from the three aspects of "source", "flow" and "convergence", and show the brilliant achievements of Chinese civilization and its great contribution to the human world.
Eastern Han Lux Boshan furnace
In the past few days, heavy weapons have gathered in the special exhibition hall of "Why China", and people have been crowded. Since its inception, countless audiences have been deeply interested in this, and while they are seriously appreciating the exquisite cultural relics, they may be pondering the answer to the question of "why China". Today, in the face of major changes unprecedented in a century, and in this critical period of national rejuvenation, my generation should take history as a mirror, move forward courageously, and leave the answer of the times of "why China" for future generations of Chinese sons and daughters.
Hu people eat cake and ride camel figurines
【Tracing the Origins of China】
He Zun of the Western Zhou Dynasty of the Baoji Bronze Museum in Shaanxi, the Neolithic C-shaped Jade Dragon of the Palace Museum, and the Liangzhu Jade Dragon of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum show the concepts of heaven, earth, totem and nationality in the indiscriminate places of Chinese civilization
Entering the exhibition hall of Wenhua Hall, the exhibits set off by the red lining of the palace wall are particularly exquisite, and the warm colors make the audience more deeply appreciate the rich Chinese style. At the southern end of the front hall of the Mandarin Hall stands three independent display cases, which are located on a square platform, and the dark blue background celestial figure luminous lamp plate and two translucent veils hanging above enclose the image of the vast galaxy and the circle of the sky. The background wall is designed to be orange, symbolizing the dawn before sunrise, and the wall decoration is taken from the early dragon pattern on the bronze ware of the Spring and Autumn Period, which is clumsy and vigorous, making people have unlimited reverie about the myth of spiritual objects. Here are displays of He Zun of the Western Zhou Dynasty from the Baoji Bronze Museum in Shaanxi, neolithic C-shaped jade dragon from the Palace Museum, and Liangzhu Yuchun from the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, showing the concepts of heaven and earth, totems and nationalities where Chinese civilization is indiscriminate.
Red Mountain Culture Jade Dragon
He Zun is solid and thick, and the reliefs of thunder patterns, banana leaf patterns and animal face patterns are all over the body, which has the typical characteristics of bronze ceremonial vessels in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. This wine vessel with dark green copper rust is still radiant after more than 2,000 years, exuding a timeless and luxurious atmosphere. It is a priceless treasure, and a passage inscribed on the inner wall contains an important message: "If the King of Weiwu is a merchant of Dayi, then the court will tell yu tian, saying 'Yu Qi's house is in China, and he is a servant of the people'." Meaning: After the King of Wu destroyed the Shang, he offered sacrifices to the heavens, and used this land as the center of the world to rule the people. This is part of the 122-character inscription, and it is also the earliest testimony of the word "China" as a phrase known today, making up for the lack of historical records. The place names written by He Zun gradually became a fixed title for the Chinese nation's settlement from a small area, and the origin of the concept of "China" can be traced back to this point at the latest. Therefore, this exhibition displays He Zun in a prominent position, and asks the audience "why China" in ancient characters.
Before He Zun named himself "China", the land of China had already flashed the dawn of a beautiful civilization. Yangshao, Hongshan, Dawenkou, Longshan, Majiayao, Liangzhu, Qujialing, Tao Temple, Erlitou and other cultures are layered and bloom everywhere, like the stars in the night sky, emitting a little light. In order to adapt to the complex climate and geographical environment of this land, the ancestors of various places created unique tools for life, production and spirituality. The first unit of the "Why China" exhibition, "Source", uses cultural relics such as Sanxingdui Sun Shaped Ware, Sun God Bird, Yu Gui, Yu Zhang, Yu Bi, and Four Gods Wadang to reveal the cosmology of the ancestors; uses human head shaped vessel mouth color pottery vases, Longshan eggshell black pottery, jade silkworms, topaz eagles to grab people's heads, and dish Fangyi to show the technology and aesthetics of the ancestors in making pottery, making jade, weaving, and metallurgy. These material and spiritual crystals shaped the initial pluralistic styles and overall trends of Chinese civilization, laying a solid foundation for "China" to lay a solid foundation for China.
Basalt tiles
Nourished by productive forces, the emergence of writing, cities and states meant the advancement of civilization, and the Chinese civilization that entered the dynastic stage became more dazzling, laying the source of ideas and institutions for future generations, and setting up an immortal model. The Yin Ruins oracle bones confirm the historical facts of the late Shang Dynasty, the Fengxiang Stone Drum Great Seal records the deeds of Qin Jun's hunting, and the beautiful writing style on the Ejun Qijin Festival is another chinese character specification before Qin Shi Huang. The ritual system behind chimes, chasing gui and xiao keding, the patriarchal system, and even the doctrine of the sons represented by Kong Lao became the means of ruling the early state, and the Yunmeng Sleeping Tiger Qin Jian was the specific practice of the rule of law thought. Shanghai Museum collection of martingale Fangsheng is the Warring States period Shang martingale for the Qin State to change the law of unified weights and measures of the rectangular standard measuring instrument, in addition to the side with the handle, the other three sides and the bottom are engraved with inscriptions, it indicates an unstoppable trend, the successful transformation of the Qin State embarked on the road of rich countries and strong troops, raised the merger of the six kingdoms, swept the world banner, and pushed China to the imperial era.
After hundreds of years of chaos and strife and the collision of ideological trends, the various branches of Chinese civilization are like streams condensing each other, gradually becoming a torrent, and finally moving towards reunification, and a national community has been born. The mighty torrent of civilization is wrapped in different colors of silt and sand, and it is endowed with the characteristics of pluralism and unity from the source. And this torrent continues to rush forward, all the way through the alpine valley, constantly merging into new water sources, forming a rolling and imposing river.
Engraved tortoiseshell
【Follow the Flow of the Great River】
The lights of the Western Han Changxin Palace in the Hebei Museum are full of the spirit of the Han people who had just condensed at that time; the glittering gold or gilded gold and silverware of the Tang Dynasty, many of which were influenced by the Byzantine, Sassanid Persian and Sogdian styles of gold and silverware
The flow of Chinese civilization continues endlessly. Whether it is the unification of the Qin, Han, Sui, Tang, or the Wei, Jin, Song, and Liao dynasties, the integration and collision of various ethnic groups in the region are taking place at different times, and this exchange gradually extends to extraterritorial civilizations. Over the past two thousand years, the scope of the Chinese nation can be described as constantly enriching and developing.
The Changxin Palace lamp from the Hebei Museum is undoubtedly one of the most representative works of art in the Western Han Empire, full of the spirit of the Han nationality that had just been condensed at that time. It was placed in the center of the apse of the Mandarin Hall, and the designer hung an orange-red veil in the shape of a canopy above the display cabinet, and the light was connected to the inside, which looked dazzling like a bright lamp from a distance, echoing with the golden Changxin Palace lamp below, highlighting the honor and charm of the cultural relics. The Changxin Palace lamp was excavated from the tomb of Liu Sheng, the King of Jingjing in Mancheng, Hebei Province, and was very cleverly designed, named after the Changxin Palace, which was once placed in the Changxin Palace where Empress Wen of Han (Liu Sheng's grandmother Dou Shi) lived. The lamp body is a sitting palace girl, with a quiet and elegant demeanor, and the two furrowed brows imply a deep meaning, stuffing the distant Han Palace past into the time capsule until today.
Han Changxin Palace lamp
The Central Plains civilization radiated around, as if melting the "glaciers" in remote areas, converging into tributaries and rushing to the main stream. The bronze cases of the Niuhu bronze cases of the Warring States to the ancient Dian kingdom of the Han Dynasty were cast in bronze, which should be influenced by the bronze technology of the Central Plains and integrated into the local art style. A fierce tiger rode on the tail of a large bull and bit fiercely, and the calf hid under the belly of a large bull, not feeling the existence of a crisis at all, and the vividness of the cow-tiger copper case was in stark contrast with the standardization of most bronzes in the Central Plains. In the chaotic era of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Xianbei, Xianbei, Qiang, Qiang and other tribes rushed to the Central Plains, but they were inspired by Han culture and slowly integrated into a member of the Chinese nation, while making Chinese civilization more colorful with their own bloodlines and traditions. Since the fourth century AD, Buddhist art has begun to flourish, along the footprints of the Silk Road, as a hub of cultural exchanges between China and the West, Dunhuang has become a treasure house of Buddhist art in the desert, where western civilization and Chinese civilization converge. The "Deer King Bunsen Story Map" (reproduction) exhibited in "Why China" shows a tendency to localize Buddhist art. Subsequently, tubo, Khitan, Dangxiang, Jurchen, Mongolian and other ethnic groups set off several waves of trends, so that the Chinese civilization was further enriched and strengthened. The Liao Dynasty deerbit grass pattern gilt and silver horse ornament from the Inner Mongolia Museum is the same as the Tang Dynasty harness, and the craftsmanship is extremely exquisite, which inherits and carries forward the traditional pattern characteristics of the Central Plains while expressing the nomadic artistic style.
Light green glass ribbed bowl in the Qin and Han dynasties
Since the Han and Tang dynasties, benefiting from the opening up of sea and land trade routes, Chinese civilization has had a broader dialogue with foreign civilizations. The Chinese nation abandons prejudice, embraces the world with an open mind, and at the same time contributes a profound ideological system, rich scientific and technological cultural and artistic achievements and unique system creation to the world while absorbing foreign national cultures, and profoundly affects the process of world history. Take the Liaoning Provincial Museum's collection of the Sixteen Kingdoms before the Yan Murong Xianbei flower tree-like golden step shake as an example, which is shaped by peach-shaped gold leaves wrapped around the branches of the flower tree, which is different from the popular hanging bead step shake in the Central Plains. This hair ornament originated in West Asia, was introduced south with the northern nomads through the steppe Silk Road, became popular in the western Liaoning region, and then spread to the Korean Peninsula. A golden crown of Silla in the collection of the National Gyeongju Museum in South Korea has the characteristics of a flower-tree-like golden step shake, which can be seen in the absorption, digestion and re-dissemination of Chinese civilization to foreign civilizations. In addition, there are many Chinese cultural relics with foreign marks, Tang Dynasty glittering gold or gilded gold and silverware, many influenced by the Byzantine, Sassanid Persian and Sogdian gold and silver ware styles, not only its decoration and shape contain exotic elements, and even the production process is foreign practices. With the rise of the Maritime Silk Road, more types of domestic goods are exported overseas. Changsha kiln, Longquan kiln and other kilns began to produce ceramics specifically for export, south Korea's Xin'an shipwreck salvaged water cultural relics, there are many exquisite quality Yuan Dynasty Longquan kiln blue glazed porcelain. The Persian peacock blue glazed pottery vase collected by the Fujian Museum has come to China as early as the five generations period, and is the earliest peacock blue glaze artifact found in the mainland, and the peacock blue glaze ceramics produced by the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln in the Ming and Qing Dynasties are exquisite, presumably its craftsmanship can be traced back to this point.
Persian peacock blue glazed pottery vase
The great river of Chinese civilization, although it has been rushing all the way and injecting thousands of streams, has always been unhurried and coexists peacefully with all natural things. As the old Chinese saying goes, "All things have their own harmony to live, and each has its own cultivation to become", which embodies the essence of the idea of the unity of heaven and man and the nature of the Tao. Several pieces of Tang Dynasty bronze mirror back ornaments can especially reflect this thinking, of which the Palace Museum's Collection Hou Jin's square mirror decorates Xiangyun Tuoyue above the mirror button, and the bottom is decorated with mountains and stones and ponds, and the left and right pictures are "knocking bamboo to summon turtles" and "drums and pianos to attract phoenixes", expressing the transcendent spiritual pursuit of the ancients. In addition, the Jin Dynasty green jade carved spring water map inlay, depicting the scene of raptors pecking at swans, is a reproduction of the hunting life of the Khitan and Jurchen ethnic minorities. In short, Chinese civilization is good at conforming to natural laws such as four-hour phenology, establishing deep feelings with mountains, rivers and trees, artistic processing of natural beauty, and forming a unique aesthetic concept of Chinese civilization.
Liao Sancai pottery reclining cat
【The Gathering of Civilizations】
The Shang Zhou Ten Offerings from the Confucius Museum are composed of bronzes passed down from generation to generation, such as Ding, Yong, Gui, Zun, Gui, and Bean, which let people see the inheritance of the essence of philosophy; the Forbidden City style Lei Changchun Palace is hot, showing the craftsmanship of ancient Chinese architecture
The great river runs endlessly, and eventually it will merge into one place, and the blessings will be widespread, and the people of the world will be safe. Throughout the world's ancient civilizations, Egypt, Assyria, and India were all nourished by great rivers or oceans, and the people created extraordinary technologies, cultures, and ideas on the basis of satisfying food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. Chinese civilization is no exception, it relies on its national character of valuing harmony, the tolerant characteristics of the world, the grace of the world,it advocates the people,the people's livelihood, gathers the wisdom of the people,and is exemplary in consolidating the unity and stability of the homeland, promoting the development and innovation of skills, and compiling classics and inheriting culture.
Confucius promoted benevolence, Wen Congzhou Li, and Confucianism, which had been dominant in the land of China since it was revered by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, restraining the behavior of Chinese and infiltrating the hearts of Chinese. The Shang Zhou Ten Offerings in the exhibition are from the Confucius Museum, which was originally from the old collection of the Qing Palace. The Qianlong Emperor presented them to the Confucius Temple in 1771 when he personally visited Qufu to worship Confucius as a sign of respect for Confucius and Confucianism. This group of ceremonial vessels composed of bronzes handed down from generation to generation, such as Ding, Zhen, Gui, Zun, Gui and Dou, was returned to the Forbidden City more than 200 years later. They are covered with ancient and shiny green rust, accumulated more than 2,000 years of thickness, ordered by the Qianlong Emperor to be equipped with rosewood covers and pedestals, the cover button is a fine jade carving, let people see the dialogue between ancient and modern times, but also see the essence of philosophy in the same vein. Under the framework of Confucianism, people act according to a complete moral system, up to the temple, down to the family house. The institutionalization of the whole people has made society operate in an orderly manner within the effective scope, and has also enhanced national cohesion and centripetal force. In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the return of the Mongolian Turbat tribe who had left the Russian steppe at the end of the Ming Dynasty to the motherland was the embodiment of the feelings of home and country and national consciousness. The Qianlong Emperor warmly welcomed the submission of Wolbasi Khan and placed the Turbats in the area of Bazhou and Ejina, and for this deed, he wrote the imperial book "Records of the Youshu Turbats". The Qinghua Liu Bingtian book "The Chronicle of the Special Department of Youshu Turk" shown in the exhibition is precisely the empirical evidence of national unity and stability in the frontier. At this time, China, with its vast territory, unified homeland and country, and economic prosperity, had reached an unprecedented prosperity. The Qianlong "Jin Ou Yonggu" cup is not only a praise for this prosperous world, but also a beautiful expectation for the reunification of the country and the people's state.
Qianlong model "Jin Ou Yonggu" cup
In the induction of the law and the study of skills, the Chinese nation has shown an extraordinary spirit of innovation and creative ability, and its natural work has opened up things and restored things, and created unique technologies and skills in the world with a very personalized method. The four major inventions, furniture design, architectural gardens, medicine and acupuncture, and astronomical geography are all permeated with the pioneering spirit of conforming to nature, striving for excellence, and seeking curiosity. The Forbidden City style Lei Changchun Palace hot sample shows the craftsmanship of ancient Chinese architecture, and a set of Suzhou Ming Dynasty wooden furniture models displayed next to it, although very small, is meticulous and nuanced, which also proves the practical application of mortise and mortise structures.
Yuan Dynasty filigree enamel tangled lotus pattern ball incense
The long journey has made the river of Chinese civilization fertile, full of flowers and fields, and the achievements have been remarkable, and the thick accumulation is known as broad and profound. The Qianlong Emperor lamented the remoteness of the text and the vastness of the paper, so he ordered Ji Xiaolan to be the chief compiler, collect the remains of the world, and after ten years of compilation and revision, it was compiled into the "Four Libraries Complete Book". The series of books is divided into four parts: classics, history, sub-books and collections, with about 997 million words, which is the most comprehensive and systematic summary of classical Chinese cultural knowledge. The Qianlong Emperor ordered 7 manuscripts to be stored in the Wenyuan Pavilion of the Forbidden City, the Wenshu Pavilion of Shenyang in Liaoning, the Wenyuan Pavilion of the Yuanmingyuan, the Wenjin Pavilion of Chengde in Hebei, the Wenhui Pavilion in Yangzhou, the Wenlan Pavilion in Hangzhou, and the Wenzong Pavilion in Zhenjiang. To this day, Wenyuan Geben, Wenzong Geben and Wenshu Geben have disappeared in the war, and Wenyuan Geben has gone away to Taiwan Province. The Qianlong Emperor was very fond of the "Four Libraries of the Whole Book", and not only erected a monument next to the Wenyuan Pavilion to engrave the imperial inscription "Records of the Wenyuan Pavilion", but also ordered people to carve jade as a seal, which was called:"Wenyuan Pavilion Treasure", which was specially used to cover the Wenyuan Pavilion 'Four Libraries Quanshu' next to the Wenyuan Pavilion. The end of the exhibition focuses on the history of the "Four Libraries of the Whole Book" and Wenyuan Pavilion, and the designers have built a restored landscape at the exit of the exhibition hall with reference to the rosewood bookshelf in Wenyuan Pavilion, allowing the audience to experience the vastness of the books.
"Huiliu Chengjian" is a plaque of Wenyuan Pavilion located behind the Wenhua Hall, and the short four characters also compare Chinese culture to water flow, implying that the "Four Libraries of the Whole Book" contains and summarizes the essence of five thousand years of civilization, in order to continue to learn from the saints and open up peace for all generations. Therefore, the "Why China" exhibition was selected to be held at the Wenhua Hall, which echoed the Wenyuan Pavilion and was a grand tribute to the cultural achievements.
Tonkin hunting figure pattern six-curved flower mouth cup
Author: Bo Haikun (Deputy Research Librarian, Palace Museum)
The pictures are all exhibits of the "Why China" special exhibition
Editor: Fan Xin
Planner: Fan Xin
Editor-in-Charge: Huang Qizhe
*Wenhui exclusive manuscript, please indicate the source when reprinting.