Showcasing a dynamic era

Both exhibitions are co-organized by Art Exhibitions China, a governmental body that aims to promote Chinese cultural heritage overseas. Luo has been part of the curatorial team for both events.

"When starting our second collaboration, we and the Guimet museum coincidentally chose to introduce the Tang Dynasty to the French audience. Renowned as one of the most prosperous periods in Chinese history, the Tang Dynasty was marked by a vibrant economy, a thriving culture, intellectual openness, outstanding artistic accomplishments, and significant ethnic integration," says Luo.

In fact, the Guimet museum, dedicated to Asian art, has long been eager to host a large-scale exhibition to comprehensively showcase the Tang era, whose poetry, literature and calligraphy would go on to inspire some of the greatest literary works in later periods.

The museum has presented a total of four exhibitions spotlighting China's rich cultural heritage this year, with the Tang Dynasty show being the highlight of the year.

With an array of treasures set to be showcased outside China, Luo's team spent over a year preparing for the exhibition. The meticulous process involved selecting antiques, borrowing them from museums across China, and ultimately presenting them in a captivating manner to foreign audiences.

When choosing artifacts for overseas exhibitions, the first priority is to ensure they are not damaged. The items must be suitable for travel. They also need to captivate the audience. The selected artifacts should be well-known and important. Finally, it is crucial to showcase the latest archaeological findings, says Luo about their standards for antique selection.

The exhibition was divided into seven sections, including an immersive one that provides an overall picture of the Tang era.

Other sections focus on various aspects of this prosperous time, such as the architecture of the ancient capital of Chang'an (now Xi'an in Shaanxi province), daily life, ink painting art, craftsmanship of gold and silver wares, and the influence of the Silk Road.