Temporary Exhibition Ongoing

Xiongnu And Central Plain--Civilizations’ Confrontation and Intermingling

Xiongnu civilization, absolutely different with Chinese Central Plain civilization, was formed under a different living environment and economic foundation. Xiongnu civilization is nomadic, whereas Central Plain civilization belongs to farming one. During the circa 3rd century B.C, the two civilizations confronted with each other, and continued for the following hundreds of years, during which, unprompted trading and cruel military conflicts and frictions, alternated with friendly alliance by marriage treaty and peace on agreements. Anyway, mutual dependence and friendship dominant the whole period. Finally, the two civilizations mutually affected in the course of the mutual dependence and complementation, completed with the intermixture in term of material, spirit, culture, and blood, thus laid the foundation for the united Chinese state with multi-ethic groups. Civilization confrontation is an important way to prompt the progress of civilization.

Collision and the final intermixture between Xiongnu civilization and Central Plain civilization demonstrate the powerful vitality and the characters of extensive compatibility, wide assimilation of the Chinese civilization, which is the essence of Chinese civilization for keeping vigor and lasting for thousands of years.

Special exhibition “Xiongnu And Central Plain--Civilizations’ Confrontation and Intermingling”, highlights the 28 pieces of large oil paintings and more than 130 pieces (sets) artifacts, aiming to manifesting the different characters of the two civilizations and their grand amalgamation and confluence during the Warring States period to the end of Han dynasty. Oil painting is the vivid representation of the intension of the cultural relics, and cultural relics are genuine proof of the context of the cultural relics. The oil painting and cultural relics represent the history jointly by means of the method of “ from point to area”, and complement each other. Moreover, this is also an experiment of novel exhibition method. We hope that the public can have an plain knowledge about the history and culture of the relationship between Xiongnu and Central Plain, to deepen their acknowledge of the centripetal force and the unification of diversity of Chinese civilization.

The exhibition consists three parts: custom, confrontation, intermixture, and it will go through May 27th 2012.

Place: the Eastern Temporary Gallery