10/11/2004 - 21/2/2005

Special Exhibition Gallery,
Hong Kong Museum of History

Admission fee is required (including Wednesdays)

The ancient Dian Kingdom was established in the Dianchi area of Yunnan and reached its peak of development from the Warring states period to the Western Han dynasty. Apart from a very short narrative in Shiji (‘Record of Historians'), written in about 100BC by the Han historian Sima Qian, we know very little about the Dian people. However, the surveys and excavations of the Dian burial sites conducted in 1955 and afterwards have led to a series of important discoveries, including the gold seal of the Dian king. This has enabled the reconstruction of the archaeological past of the Dian culture. So far more than 30 sites of the Dian Kingdom have been excavated. Three sites namely Shizhaishan, Lijiashan and Yangfutou are the largest in scale and have the greatest number of cultural remains discovered. Bronze objects such as cowrie containers and other artifacts decorated with human and animal figurines and the most spectacular masterpieces of the Dian Culture. The exhibition will lead the visitors to explore the mysterious culture of the Dian Kingdom and further enhance their understanding of the material culture, everyday life, military and religious activities, and arts and crafts of the Dian people.

The exhibition is jointly organized by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Yunnan Provincial Museum.