Carriers of history and tradition

In this exhibition, the Shanghai Museum, as a co-organizer, took the lead in coordinating the borrowing of Chinese exhibits from various domestic institutions, such as the Palace Museum, the Capital Museum, Liaoning Provincial Museum, Hebei Museum, Qinghai Provincial Museum and Fujian Museum. By doing so, it aimed to collectively showcase the value of Chinese culture overseas and contribute Chinese wisdom and strength to deepen exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

The ongoing exhibition at The Met appears to resonate with the trajectory of time.

In 1980, shortly after reform and opening-up began, a historic exhibition, The Great Bronze Age of China, was held at The Met. Co-presented by the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China, it was the first large-scale display of Chinese bronze ware in a Western country since the founding of New China in 1949.

"After 45 years, we were once again back across the Pacific Ocean, gathering for the sake of Chinese cultural relics, Chinese culture and the cherished value of cultural heritage as the common wealth of humanity," said Luo Wenli, deputy director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, referring to the 1980 exhibition, at the opening ceremony for the new exhibition.

"Over the past years, cultural exchanges between Chinese and American museums have flourished. We believe that through this special exhibition, American visitors will not only appreciate the treasures of China but also feel the vitality unleashed by the innovative development of traditional Chinese culture."

Luo says that the administration is willing to support further museum exchanges and cultural heritage cooperation between China and the US, and to continue to provide a platform to build bridges for cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the two countries.

Wang Kaihao contributed to this story.