Romania hosts Chinese heritage exhibition

The terracotta army exhibit at the exhibition. [Photo/Provided to Chinadaily.com.cn]

Treasure of China, a high-profile historical exhibition consisting of 101 Chinese civilization relics spanning the country’s 5,000 year history, has arrived at the National Museum of Romanian History in Bucharest, Romania.

The exhibition, which is part of the Arts Exhibition of China’s global tour to promote cultural exchange between China and other countries, will be open to the public from April 29 to August 1.

“We hope to offer a glimpse of China’s 5,000 year civilization and provide an enjoyable visiting experience for the Romanian people,” said Yao An, deputy director of the Arts Exhibition of China who helped curate the historical exhibition.

For this unique and broad exhibition, curators spent more than a year handpicking important cultural items from major museums in Beijing, Shanghai and throughout Shaanxi province, including the Imperial Palace Museum, Shanghai Museum and the Qinshihuang Terracotta Museum, Yao explained.

Some of the treasures that will be on display will include iconic Chinese relics such as colorful pottery from the New Stone Age (c. 3300-2200 BC), Terracotta Warriors and horses from the Qinshihuang Terracotta Museum in Xi’an, stone carved Buddha statues from the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) when the Silk Road connecting China and Turkey was as its peak and glazed plates used by the imperial family during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

As a special part of the exhibit, five mirrors will be used to reflect four Terracotta Warriors, including a general and a kneeling bowman and one horse, so as to produce the visual effect of being in the presence of an army.

Cristian Alexandru, a political counselor at the Romanian embassy in Beijing, said the exhibition, which is actually hard to find within China, will certainly attract a lot of attention in Romania, especially the Terracotta army exhibit.

“The exhibition will provide a rare opportunity for the Romanian people to admire Chinese civilization at their door step,” Alexandru explained, adding he might take his children to see the exhibition during his annual vacation to Romania.

This is the first large-scale exhibition of Chinese relics Romania has hosted in nearly three decades. The last exhibition of this size occurred in 1985.

“We hope this exhibition will serve as a fresh beginning of a new round of cultural exchange between the two countries,” said Yao.