In early China, the collisions and aggregations between different civilizations promoted the exchange and integration of various cultures, resulting in the more diversified and rich regional cultures reflected by the jade wares. The splendid achievement of the Chinese civilization through hardships is analogous to the luster of the jade conceived by mountains and polished by water. The exhibition gathers 450 pieces (sets) of fine jade artifacts from 48 cultural and museum institutions in 15 regions across the country. It consists of three progressive sections: “Techniques and Interaction”, “Regions and Civilizations”, and “Rituals and China”, respectively showcasing the development and interaction of prehistoric jade craftsmanship among different cultural regions, the influence of prehistoric jade artifacts on the formation of various civilizations, and the role of jade ware in the origin and development of Chinese rituals.
The exhibition is the second unit of the “Early China” sequential exhibitions in our museum and the biggest exhibition of prehistoric jade ware in China in recent years. It creatively utilizes the archaeological and research achievements of “the Chinese Civilization Exploration Project” crafting them into a popular exhibition, to meet the requirement of “Telling China’s Stories Well” from the 20th CPC National Congress.