二零一五年是香港李鄭屋漢墓發現的六十周年，香港歷史博物館特別與中國文物交流中心攜手合作，共同籌辦「漢武盛世︰帝國的鞏固和對外交流」專題展覽，透過難得一見的文物展品，向公眾介紹漢代的歷史、藝術和文化發展。

漢朝是中國歷史上國祚最長，影響最深遠的大一統王朝，無論在政治、藝術、文學、信仰和科技等方面，對後世都有極重要的影響。西漢與東漢的統治合共四百餘年（公元前 206 年 — 公元 220年），期間雖然經歷王莽篡漢，但總體上兩漢在政治、文化和社會經濟等方面，都具有高度的延續性。在漢朝的長期統治下，中國文化的根基得以穩定地滋殖和鞏固。漢武帝獨尊儒術，使儒學成為中國學術思想的主流，也造就儒家思想成為整個傳統文化的基礎。漢文化的其他元素，包括漢字、生死觀和生活習尚等，亦成為傳統文化的重要組成部份，與現今國人的生活仍然息息相關，可見漢朝在中國歷史上的重要地位。

是次展覽，香港歷史博物館從十多個省市、約四十個文博單位揀選了約一百六十二組珍貴的漢代文物，以漢帝國的崛起為討論中心，並在「漢帝國的鞏固和擴張」、「漢代社會生活」和「漢代的科技、文化與中西交通」三個主題下，與觀眾一起探索漢代的歷史進程，其中更特別著墨包括香港所在的嶺南地區在兩漢時期的發展。

配合這次展覽，香港歷史博物館在一樓大堂設置了一個名為「尋找未央宮」的多媒體展示，透過影技術把已消失的漢代皇宮 — 未央宮重現觀眾眼前，讓觀眾了解漢代宮殿建築的佈局和相關出土文物的內容，同時作為整個展覽的引子。展場外亦設有教育角，讓觀眾透過富趣味性的活動瞭解漢代文化。

這次展覽是香港歷來最大規模的漢代文物展，包羅多個不同考古遺址所出土的漢代文物，堪稱一道豐富的文化盛宴，讓觀眾透過文物認識歷史，並分享過去考古發現和歷史研究所取得的成果。

2015 marks the 60th anniversary of the discovery of the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb in Hong Kong. With a view to introducing to the public the history, art and culture of the Han dynasty through stunning and rarely seen cultural relics, the Hong Kong Museum of History joined hands with Art Exhibitions China to present the exhibition "The Rise of the Celestial Empire: Consolidation and Cultural Exchange during the Han Dynasty".

The reign of the Han dynasty was the longest and one of the greatest among all unified dynasties in China. It was an influential period in many aspects, including politics, art, literature, religion and science. In all, the dynasty spanned over four centuries, from the start of the Western Han period in 206 BC to the close of the Eastern Han period in AD 220. While the reign was interrupted by the usurper Wang Mang, a high degree of political, cultural and socio-economic continuity existed between the two Han eras. The cultural foundation of China thrived and strengthened under the long rule of Han. As Emperor Wu was an advocate of Confucianism, the school of thought was made the mainstream subject for academic study, and gradually became the foundation of traditional Chinese culture. Other elements of Han culture, including Han characters, views on life and death, as well as everyday practices, all became integral parts of traditional Chinese culture. As these are all still intertwined with present-day lives of Chinese people, the historical significance of the Han dynasty is clearly shown.

Showcased in this exhibition are about 162 sets of invaluable Han artefacts selected by the Hong Kong Museum of History from about 40 cultural institutions in over ten provinces and cities in China. Centered round the rise of the Han Empire and under the three themes of "The Strengthening and Expansion of the Han Empire", "Everyday Life during the Han Dynasty" and "The Technology, Culture and Cross-border Transportation of the Han Dynasty", the exhibition enables visitors to explore the historical advances during the Han dynasty. The development of the Lingnan region (to which Hong Kong belongs) during the two Han periods is also highlighted.

As a complementary element to this exhibition, a multimedia display known as "In Search of Weiyang Palace" is set up by the Hong Kong Museum of History at the 1/F Lobby. Using projection technology, the vanished Han palace - Weiyang Palace – will be brought to life before the audience. Visitors can learn about the layout of the Han palatial architecture and the relics unearthed from its site. The display also serves as a prelude to the exhibition as a whole. To introduce more fun elements for understanding Han culture, an education corner is also set up outside the exhibition gallery.

This exhibition on the cultural relics of the Han dynasty is the largest of its kind ever held in Hong Kong. Featuring Han relics unearthed from various archaeological sites, the exhibition is undoubtedly a rich and diverse cultural extravaganza. We hope that the relics presented in the exhibition can relay deeper historical insights to the public, as well as share the findings of past archaeological discoveries and historical research.