A special exhibition on the bronze civilization of the Yangtze River Basin will be on display at the Guangdong Museum from February 6. This exhibition will bring together a total of 137 exhibits from 18 museums in Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Anhui, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and other provinces, including 54 first-class cultural relics, to systematically show the audience the splendid civilization of the Bronze Age in the Yangtze River Basin.

What is most noteworthy is that some bronze relics from Sanxingdui Ruins will also be displayed in this exhibition. Sanxingdui is an archaeological site and a major Bronze Age culture in Guanghan, southwestern China’s Sichuan Province. Most were discovered in 1986 when archaeologists excavated artifacts that radiocarbon dated to the 12th to 11th centuries BC. Sanxingdui Ruins, Jinsha Ruins, and Boat-shaped Coffin Tombs are included in the tentative World Heritage List by UNESCO.

In addition to the cultural relics from Sanxingdui site, this exhibition also displays bronze ware  from other areas along the Yangtze River. The Yangtze River is the mother river of the Chinese nation. In the 16th century BC, the Shang Dynasty went south to the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, bringing advanced bronze casting technology and a complex ritual system, ushering in the Bronze Age in the Yangtze River Basin. After that, bronze cultural systems such as Bashu Culture, Jingchu Culture, and Wuyue Culture were formed in various regions along the Yangtze River Basin.

Location: Special Exhibition Hall on the third floor of Guangdong Museum

Time:February 6-June 2, 2024