16 July – 15 September 2014

1/F Lobby, Hong Kong Museum of History

Jointly presented by
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Department of Culture of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Bureau of Cultural Relics of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Co-organized by
Hong Kong Museum of History
Guangxi Institute of Cultural Relic Protection and Archaeology

The long history of Guangxi was evidenced by the large number of Han tombs and historical sites of Han cities unearthed in present-day locations such as Hepu County in Beihai City, Guigang City, Wuzhou City, Guilin City, and Hezhou City. After years of archaeological excavation, large numbers of cultural relics have been unearthed from Han tombs and historical sites of Han cities. The earliest pottery houses found among Guangxi burial objects dated back to the mid-Western Han. Their popularity reached their height during the Eastern Han and through the Southern Dynasties periods. Architectural burial objects, such as pottery houses, not only reflect people's beliefs, they also illustrate forms, features, and development patterns of ancient architecture. Moreover, they provide crucial data in the study of social and economic development.

Featuring 76 items/sets of burial pottery models dating back from the Western Han to Southern Dynasties, including pottery houses, granaries, wells, stoves, and animal figurines, the exhibition depicts wishes of the people of the Han dynasty for a luxurious life after death and sheds light on the then major forms of dwellings and aspects of everyday life in South China.