Exhibition showcases Mount Qomolangma's illustrious history

LOS ANGELES-From the climbing rope found with the remains of British mountaineer George Mallory, who took part in the first British expedition to Mount Qomolangma, known as Mount Everest in the West, in the early 1920s, to one of the first oxygen sets ever employed in high-altitude climbing, an exhibition being held in Bowers Museum in US southern California takes visitors on an epic journey to Mount Qomolangma.

Titled Everest: Ascent to Glory, the exhibition combines photographs, films and artifacts from five expeditions leading up to the earliest successful attempt to climb the highest mountain in the world in 1953.

"The exhibition focuses on the five expeditions to climb Mount Everest from 1921 to 1953," Peter C. Keller, president of Bowers Museum, says.

"It consists of over 100 original photographs and some key pieces of equipment, including some very precious pieces that had been brought back from Tibet," he says.

Bowers Museum partners with The Royal Geographical Society in London to present the exhibition, showcasing the illustrious history of Mount Qomolangma and changing technologies of the initial attempts to climb the mountain.

This exhibition, curated by renowned Canadian cultural anthropologist and author Wade Davis, comes just after the centennial of the first British reconnaissance expedition to Mount Qomolangma in 1921.

The show, which runs through Aug 28, attracts over 600 visitors every day. The audiences are further immersed as they view a 3D model of the colossal mountain, called by native people as "Goddess Mother of the World".

"The exhibition has revealed the adventure spirit of human kind, and it inspires young people to work hard, persevere and overcome difficulties on their way to reach their goals," Anne Shih, chairwoman of the Board of Governors of Bowers Museum, says.

Keller says the exhibition is partially a Chinese exhibition as half of Mount Qomolangma is on the Tibetan side of China.

"The approach to Mount Qomolangma is easier on the Chinese side than the Nepalese side," he says.

Bowers Museum, founded in 1932, has cooperation and exchange programs with Chinese museums including the Palace Museum, Nanjing Museum and Shanghai Museum.

It has hosted various exhibitions featuring cultural heritage in the Forbidden City, Tibet, Xinjiang, the Terracotta Warriors in Shaanxi province, and other parts of China.

"We are very energetic in cooperation with China," Shih says, adding Bowers Museum is committed to serving as a bridge in US-China cultural exchange.

"We hope to bring the Chinese culture to American audiences through various exhibitions, so that they can learn more about China's profound history and splendid culture," Shih says.