Old silk road friends

The fabled Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, home of Ottoman empire sultans and their harems, as well as the current exhibition Treasures of Ancient China. Provided To China Daily

Among the other treasures on show are delicate porcelains and stone carvings.

Representing 5,000 years of China's rich history, Treasures of China draws on works from 11 of China's top cultural institutions, including the Palace Museum, Shanghai Museum and Qin Shihuang Museum. The show will continue until Feb 23.

The second ongoing exhibition lies across the river known as the Golden Horn, in another of Istanbul's storied buildings, the Tophane-i-Amire, built more than five centuries ago.

China Tea Expo 2012

The original purpose of this high-walled, multi-domed and majestic edifice was to manufacture cannons, the high-tech weaponry of the era. Nowadays, in peaceful times, it serves as an exhibition area for the nearby Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University.

Colors of Dunhuang presents the UNESCO World Heritage site on the Silk Road in Gansu province, home to the world's best-preserved and largest ancient Buddhist art site, which features the sacred Mogao Grottoes.

As the exhibit clearly explains, starting in the 4th century the caves were used for meditation by monks, but later became a place of worship and pilgrimage for the general public.

While, by necessity, the exhibition consists of mostly well-executed replicas, it is a moving experience nonetheless.

Two of my favorite installations were the monumental 13.5 meter, serene sleeping Buddha at the very back of the exhibition, as well as audio exhibits available on headphones, of ancient Chinese musical instruments.

There was also a "participatory area", where people happily recreated their own cave drawings and shared them with friends. The exhibition runs up to Jan 7.

 Treasures of China and Colors of Dunhuang have been expertly organized by the China Arts and Entertainment Group, on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of Culture, as well as the Turkish Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

Next year it's Turkey's turn to present the richness of its culture to the people of China.

Contact the writer at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn