Date：2023-06-20 - 2023-10-08
Location：No. 1 Exhibition Hall, 1F
What defines a civilization? When and where did the Chinese civilization originate? How has the long river of the civilization flowed over time? And what are the criteria for a society to be considered civilized? These fundamental questions are intricately linked to the essence of China. In 2002, the Project to Trace the Origins of Chinese Civilization was launched. Through numerous discoveries, archaeologists have illuminated our country's millions of years of human history, approximately 10,000 years of cultural history, and a splendid civilization spanning over 5,000 years. These findings confirm the Chinese civilization as "a great continuum with strong unity and rich diversity."
In the summer of 2022, "The Making of China: The Civilizations of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties" took center stage as the opening show of "The Essence of China," an exhibition series of cultural relics and archaeological achievements. It became the hottest cultural event in Shanghai. Now, the current exhibition, "The Proof of Early China: The Civilizations of Songze and Liangzhu," is the second installment in "The Essence of China" series. We will shift our focus from the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River to the lower Yangtze River region approximately 5,000 years ago. With the Songze and Liangzhu cultures as its core, this region played a crucial role in the formation and early development of the Chinese civilization. It contributed significantly to such areas as rice cultivation, plowing technology, handicraft production, and the use of jade in ritual vessels. Comparatively, the Liangzhu culture emerged during a similar time and at a similar latitude as the cultures of ancient Egypt and Sumer, following a parallel trajectory of civilization. Liangzhu may even be considered the earliest form of statehood in East Asia. In this sense, it stands as a most eloquent piece of evidence, showcasing the richness of the Chinese civilization spanning over 5,000 years.
The past, like a luminous looking glass, provides us with clarity in understanding the present. Only by tracing the origins of the Chinese civilization can we gain cultural confidence from our history of over 5,000 years. Today, China finds itself in an era of unprecedented changes and challenges, with its people engaging in a formidable endeavor never witnessed before. It is crucial, therefore, that we uncover and apply the laws of social development derived from our eventful and instructive history. We must seek a better future with the wisdom of ancient China.
Copyright © 2015 ShanghaiMuseum.net
沪公网安备31010102006901号