29/11/2017 – 5/3/2018

Special Exhibition Gallery and 1/F Main Lobby, Hong Kong Museum of History

Jointly presented by
State Administration of Cultural Heritage
Leisure & Cultural Services Department

Jointly organised by
Hong Kong Museum of History
Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau
Gansu Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Bureau of Cultural Heritage
Luoyang Administration of Cultural Heritage
Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Co-ordinated by
Hong Kong Museum of History
Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center

During the Western Han dynasty, Zhang Qian, a Chinese imperial envoy, was sent to Central Asia (traditionally known as the Western Regions) in the 2nd century BC. His mission provided the Chinese with knowledge about Central Asia and beyond, and opened up a trade network linking China to Central, West and South Asia, North Africa and areas lining the Mediterranean coast. Until the 16th century, this network had played a significant role in fostering the economic, cultural, religious and technological exchange among countries in the East and the West. This ancient trade route, known as the Silk Road, measured 10,000 kilometres from east to west, and 3,000 kilometres from north to south. In 2014 with the joint efforts of China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor of the Silk Road stretching from Chang'an (present day Xi'an) in China to Central Asia was listed as UNESCO World Heritage, testifying to its historical and cultural significance.

This exhibition is one of the highlight programmes of the Hong Kong Government to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It is also a major programme of the 10th Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum. The focus of this exhibition is on the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor of the Silk Road which spans four mainland provinces (Shaanxi, Henan, Gansu and Xinjiang), Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Showcasing the cultural relics from China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, the exhibition aims at illustrating the historical and cultural significance of this Routes Network. Some 160 items/sets of invaluable artefacts have been selected from the four mainland provinces for display at the exhibition, over 50% of which are Grade-I National Treasures, while over 50 items/sets of artefacts will come from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. These exhibits include jadeware, textiles, sancai figurines, gold and silverware, bronze ware and large-scale murals. The exhibition will also be complemented by multimedia programmes and interactive elements to enrich visitors' learning experience.

The exhibition received the International and Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan Cooperation Award from the 15th (2017) National Top Ten Museum Exhibitions.