This week, Shanghai welcomes several major exhibitions: the "Ancient Rome" civilization exhibition will open on November 11 at the Shanghai World Expo Museum, recreating the epic history of the empire with 131 sets of precious artifacts, including a 2.27-meter-tall sculpture of Zeus, the king of the gods; the 15th Shanghai Biennale has opened at the Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art, themed "Can the Flowers Hear the Bees?", bringing together artists from around the world to explore diverse wisdom; in addition, "The Ultimate Fan, The Ultimate Beauty" presents 100 precious fan paintings and calligraphy works from the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties at the Shanghai Museum, such as the earliest surviving calligraphy fan leaf—Emperor Huizong of Song's "Two Lines of a Seven-Character Poem in Cursive Script".
Several recent special exhibitions on gold have also garnered significant attention, showcasing the brilliance of gold artifacts from both the north and south of China. The "Golden Threads" exhibition at the Capital Museum in Beijing presents over 170 exquisite gold artifacts from the Hong Kong Palace Museum, dating back three thousand years. The "Golden Splendor Across China" exhibition at the Anhui Provincial Museum gathers top-tier unearthed gold and silver artifacts from sites such as Sanxingdui and Haihunhou. The "Cold Light of the Yi River" exhibition at the Wuhan Museum is a major annual event, focusing on a hoard of over 400 Song and Liao dynasty gold and silver artifacts.
Shanghai
Rome, Rome: From Olympia to Capitoline
Exhibition period: November 11, 2025 - May 5, 2026
Location: Shanghai World Expo Museum
The exhibition focuses on the evolution of ancient Roman civilization, and through three thematic units, "Legends of the Gods," "Glory of the Empire," and "Feast of Life," it presents a panoramic view of the epic history of ancient Rome from its mythological origins to the rise and fall of the empire. The vast majority of the 131 precious artifacts are being exhibited in Shanghai for the first time.
The 15th Shanghai Biennale: "Can the Flowers Hear the Bees?"
Exhibition period: November 8, 2025 to March 31, 2026
Location: Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art
The exhibition will present over 250 works by 67 artists/groups from China and around the world. Founded in 1996, the Shanghai Biennale is the first international contemporary art biennale in mainland China and one of Asia's most influential contemporary art events. This year's biennale, themed "Can the Flowers Hear the Bees?", focuses on both human and non-human intelligence, exploring the convergence of different modes of intelligence.
Exquisite Fans, Exquisite Beauty: Masterpieces of Fan Paintings and Calligraphy from the Shanghai Museum Collection
Exhibition period: November 14, 2025 - February 22, 2026
Location: Shanghai Museum, People's Square Branch
The exhibition features 100 exquisite fan paintings and calligraphic works by renowned artists from different periods, including the Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing, and modern times. Among them are many fan paintings by famous Song and Yuan artists, such as the earliest surviving calligraphy fan painting—Emperor Huizong of Song's "Two Lines of a Seven-Character Poem in Cursive Script" and Sheng Mao's "Autumn River Fishing Picture" from the Yuan Dynasty.
Splendid Liupan: Exhibition of Fine Cultural Relics from Guyuan, Ningxia
Exhibition period: July 9, 2025 - November 17, 2025
Location: East Wing of Shanghai Museum
The exhibition features over 300 exquisite artifacts from the foot of Liupan Mountain, including oracle bones unearthed from the Yaoheyuan Western Zhou site, murals, a glass bowl with raised nails, a gilded silver pot, and murals from the Sui and Tang Dynasty Shi family tombs.
Red and green vie for beauty: An exhibition of rare lacquerware from the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties.
Exhibition period: September 26 - November 23
Location: Shanghai Museum, People's Square Branch
In collaboration with the Tokyo National Museum, this exhibition systematically explores the artistic achievements of Chinese lacquerware through 127 artifacts. Among them, 112 pieces are from Japanese collections, approximately half of which are rare and exquisite Song and Yuan dynasty lacquerware pieces, making them a major highlight of the exhibition.
The Yellow River's Nine Bends and a Song on Horseback: An Exhibition of Ordos Grassland Culture
Exhibition Period: October 17, 2025 - January 4, 2026
Location: West Building, Shanghai History Museum
The exhibition features nearly 150 cultural relics, allowing visitors to experience firsthand the folk customs of Ordos, which blend the cultures of the Yellow River, the Great Wall, and the grasslands, and to appreciate the local customs and traditions from the northern grasslands.
Its destiny lies in innovation – A grand exhibition of Guangdong art over the past century (Shanghai, 2025)
Exhibition period: October 18, 2025 to January 18, 2026
Location: Shanghai Art Museum (China Art Museum)
This exhibition brings together approximately 800 pieces/sets of fine art works from Guangdong, weaving together seven thematic sections and three special topics to present a three-dimensional picture of the development history of Guangdong art. Among them are Li Xiongcai's 11-meter-long masterpiece "Welcoming Pine" and Guan Shanyue's representative work "Green Great Wall".
"A Cup of Water - A Flowing Feast"
Exhibition period: November 8th to November 23rd
Location: Mingche Mountain House Art Space (No. 70, Bole Road)
The exhibition was inspired by "Boy and Glass," a collaborative work by Wu Dayu and Zhang Gongque 70 years ago. The exhibition also includes works by Min Xiwen, Zhou Changjiang, Yi Ling, Zhuang Yiling, Ji Ping, Tang Weihua, Jiang Qigu, Hua Hua, Xu Shanxun, Yang Jianyong, Wang Jiafang, Yu Zhongbao, Chen Xiang, Liu Chunjie, and others.
A chance encounter! A radical movement!
Exhibition period: September 26, 2025 - February 22, 2026
Location: West Bund Art Museum
The exhibition will present works by a number of textbook figures in the history of modern art, including Marcel Duchamp, John Cage, and George Brecht. Through 11 sections, the exhibition showcases over 200 pieces from the Centre Pompidou's collection, tracing the development of Fluxus and extending to contemporary reflections on issues such as the boundaries of art.
2025 (11th) Shanghai Youth Art Fair & (4th) National Youth Art Invitational Exhibition
Exhibition period: November 5-16
Location: Shanghai-style Art Museum (No. 1536, Xinzhen Road)
The exhibition follows the format of previous editions, consisting of two sections: the first is the "Youth Art·Vision" section, which will present the results of the 2025 Shanghai Youth Art Fair's Young Curators Program; the second is the "Youth Art·Starting Point" section, which will present the selected works from the "City Wandering" recruitment exhibition of the 10th Shanghai Youth Art Fair in 2025 as an independent project.
Rodin: The Pioneer of Modern Sculpture
Exhibition period: Extended to March 26, 2026
Location: Rodin Art Center, Shanghai (formerly the French Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo)
The exhibition features 106 original Rodin works, including six of the Rodin Museum’s most prized possessions: The Thinker, The Age of Bronze, Eve, Balzac, and The Burghers of Calais.
Constructing the Southern School: A Special Exhibition of Dong Qichang's Art
Exhibition period: September 23 - December 22
Location: Dong Qichang Calligraphy and Painting Art Museum
Twenty-five pieces of Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasty calligraphy and painting artifacts from the collections of the Shanghai Museum, Songjiang District Museum, and Cheng Shifa Art Museum were selected to systematically trace the formation and development of the Southern School of painting theory centered on Dong Qichang.
The Eastward Journey of the Iron Brush: An Artistic Dialogue between Wu Changshuo, Qian Shoutie, and Hashimoto Kansetsu
Exhibition period: September 17 - December 21
Location: Wu Changshuo Memorial Hall
This special exhibition focuses on the interactions between the three artists, vividly recreating their cross-border art world story through their collaborative works and other artifacts.
Seeking the Light 2010 – Commemorating the 15th Anniversary of the Shanghai World Expo
Exhibition period: October 31 - December 28
Location: Shanghai World Expo Museum
Instead of employing a grand historical narrative, it ingeniously focuses on vivid individuals, listening to the voices of ordinary people connected to the World Expo through faded old photos.
Fangta Park History Exhibition
Exhibition period: From October 25th
Location: Songjiang Square Tower Garden
This year marks the 110th anniversary of the birth of Mr. Feng Jizhong (1915-2009). To commemorate this milestone figure in the history of modern Chinese architecture, the College of Architecture and Urban Planning of Tongji University, in conjunction with various sectors, has launched a series of commemorative activities.
An unintentional moment
Location: Powerlong Art Museum
Exhibition period: November 8th – November 23rd, 2025
Artist Lu Dan is a "capturer of the moment." His works are not merely portraits and clouds, architecture, or figures, but rather fleeting moments in life. They may not have grand meanings, but they are deeply embedded in the artist's memory and daily life. This exhibition is part of the 7th Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Academy's Academic Series Exhibition of Oil Painting.
Endless Movement and Stillness: Masterpieces of Floral Art from the Collection
Exhibition period: From October 24th
Location: Nanjing Deji Art Museum
The number of items on display has increased to 140 pieces/sets, nearly one-third of which are newly added collections exhibited for the first time. Among them, Renoir's "Flowers in a Vase" and the Majorca ceramic vase from the Renoir family collection in the painting were unpacked and placed in the display case on October 23. The vase in "Flowers in a Vase" has appeared in at least six of Renoir's works.
Tracing the traces, freezing memories of time and space
Exhibition period: Until November 30th
Location: Dahu United Art Space
The Da Hu United Art Space, located on Maoming South Road in Shanghai, was shortlisted as one of Shanghai's most beautiful public spaces in 2019. Since its opening, it has hosted more than 70 art exhibitions and aesthetic events. This art space will be relocating at the end of November. Recently, the space held its final farewell show, inviting artists who had previously exhibited there and members of the public to create artwork, leaving their mark and memories on the exhibition walls.
Time will change bones – Su Xiaosong Art Exhibition
Exhibition period: November 7th - November 16th, 2025
Location: Cheng Shifa Art Museum
The exhibition presents nearly one hundred landscape, figure, and flower-and-bird paintings created by painter Su Xiaosong in recent years, which have the orthodox spirit of Song and Yuan painting, showcasing the unique value of Neoclassical Shanghai School painting in the current context.
Beijing
Below the Nine Heavens: Archaeological Discoveries at the Former Site of the Imperial Workshops of the Forbidden City
Exhibition period: November 4, 2025 to February 8, 2026
Location: Yongshou Palace, Forbidden City
This exhibition focuses on the archaeological findings of the former site of the Imperial Workshops of the Forbidden City, and displays a total of 166 artifacts (sets) in two sections.
Golden Threads: Ancient Gold Artifacts from the Collection of the Hong Kong Palace Museum
Exhibition period: October 22, 2025 - March 1, 2026
Location: Capital Museum
It brings together more than 170 precious ancient gold artifacts, fully showcasing China's gold craftsmanship achievements over three thousand years.
The Importance of Meaning: A Tribute to Classic Chinese Paintings from the Collection of the National Art Museum of China
Exhibition period: October 28 - November 30
Location: National Art Museum of China
The exhibition brings together nearly 600 artworks, spanning from ancient masters to contemporary young artists, including works by Bada Shanren, Shi Tao, Zheng Xie, Ren Bonian, Wu Changshuo, Qi Baishi, Huang Binhong, Xu Beihong, as well as Wu Guanzhong, Zao Wou-Ki, and others.
"Peach Blossom Stone" at the Foot of Helan Mountain - Exhibition of Fine Cultural Relics from the Western Xia Dynasty
Exhibition period: September 30 – December 14
Location: Capital Museum
Among the 103 pieces/sets of exquisite Western Xia cultural relics on display, there are 33 pieces (sets) of first-class cultural relics, covering various types such as porcelain, gold and silver ware, stone inscriptions, and sculptures.
"A Century of Protection: From the Forbidden City to the Palace Museum" Special Exhibition
Exhibition period: September 30 to December 30
Location: Palace Museum
The exhibition features 200 pieces (sets) of cultural relics. Important artifacts such as the Eastern Jin Dynasty's "Bo Yuan Tie," the Tang Dynasty's "Five Oxen," the Northern Song Dynasty's "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" by Zhang Zeduan, the Huang Tingjian's "Zhu Shangzuo Tie," and the Lotus Crane Square Pot are all on display. Among them, "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" was last publicly exhibited in 2015, 10 years ago.
Ink and Brush Culture: Henan Han and Tang Dynasty Art Exhibition
Exhibition Period: September 19, 2025 - December 14, 2025
Location: National Art Museum of China
This exhibition brings together more than 130 pieces (sets) of cultural relics and related exhibits from twelve cultural and museum institutions, including the Henan Museum, the Longmen Grottoes Research Institute, and the Luoyang Museum.
Reflections on the Banks of the Neva River – A Special Exhibition of Repin's Art
Exhibition period: July 23, 2025 – January 11, 2026
Location: South Exhibition Halls 3 and 4, National Museum of China
The exhibition will systematically present the artistic career of the painting master Ilya Repin through 92 oil paintings and drawings, using his artistic journey as a thread to open an artistic dialogue across time and space for the audience. This exhibition brings together treasures from two major Russian art institutions, presenting a comprehensive overview of Repin's art.
Taibao Yongyan: A Special Exhibition on the Liulihe Site in Fangshan
Exhibition period: August 28 - November 28
Location: Capital Museum
Focusing on the Liulihe Site in Fangshan District, known as the "Origin of Beijing," the exhibition features 180 artifacts unearthed from the site over the past 80 years, including 39 important bronze artifacts and 113 artifacts that are being publicly displayed for the first time.
Jiangsu
NAFI2025 Nanjing International Art Festival
Exhibition period: Until November 16th
Location: Nanjing Sifang Art Lake District Art Museum
The theme of this year's art season is "Overlapping Shadows," which explores the complex relationship between memory, technology, identity, and viewing through the medium of video. It marks an important transformation for the Nanjing International Art Fair since its inception in 2019—upgrading from a fair centered on transactions to an art season oriented by curatorial efforts.
Oriental Cinema Chronicles: A Cross-Media Art Exhibition of the Animated Film "Havoc in Heaven"
Exhibition Period: September 23, 2025 - January 6, 2026
Location: Jiangsu Provincial Art Museum
The exhibition displays original storyboards, art designs, scripts, and other documents related to "Havoc in Heaven," revealing the behind-the-scenes story of the creation of this classic animation.
Myriad Forms: The Beauty of Traditional Chinese Colors
Exhibition Dates: October 1, 2025 - To be determined
Location: Nanjing Museum
Highlights of the exhibits include Neolithic openwork jade ornaments depicting human figures, birds, and animals; a Southern Dynasties celadon lotus-patterned chicken-head ewer; a Ming Hongwu yellow-glazed dragon-patterned glazed tile end; and a Qing Yongzheng iron-red gourd-patterned porcelain water dropper.
"Forging Rivers and Mountains: Weapons of the Chinese Bronze Age" Special Exhibition
Exhibition period: October 1, 2025 - January 4, 2026
Location: West Wing of Suzhou Museum
The exhibition begins with weapons from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, bringing together nearly 200 sets of precious cultural relics from eight museums and cultural institutions across the country. A pop-up shop themed "Wu Sword Casting Workshop" is also open concurrently, where visitors can even have a "sword caster" create a custom sword for them.
Auspicious Sheep Bring Prosperity to Eastern Wu – An Art Documentation Exhibition by Zhou Shoujuan, Zheng Yimei, and Tao Lengyue
Exhibition period: October 28 - December 15
Location: Suzhou University Museum
The exhibition focuses on the friendship and artistic achievements of three renowned artists: Zhou Shoujuan, Zheng Yimei, and Tao Lengyue. It features over 300 pieces of their calligraphy and painting works, including gifts and collaborative pieces, as well as their own calligraphy, paintings, letters, and manuscripts. The collection encompasses various categories such as calligraphy and paintings, letters, fans, manuscripts, old photographs, newspapers, periodicals, and books.
Liangzhou: Cultural Imagination and Historical Reality
Exhibition period: July 25 - November 23
Location: Wu Culture Museum
The exhibition is divided into six narrative sections, including "The Passing of the Spark of Civilization", "The Four Counties of Hexi", and "A Continuous Lineage Over Five Hundred Years". The exhibits include representative artifacts such as the Xin Mang Daquan Fifty Copper Coin mold, the Northern Liang Thousand Buddha mural, and the Western Xia handwritten documents.
Zhejiang
Exhibition of "Secret Languages of the Yin and Han Dynasties": Oracle Bones from Yin Ruins and Han Bamboo Slips from Juyan
Exhibition period: October 1st - November 30th
Location: Tianyi Pavilion Museum
Focusing on the earliest of the "Four Great Discoveries of Ancient Chinese Documents in the Early 20th Century"—the oracle bones from Yin Ruins and the Han bamboo slips from Juyan—the program leads viewers to trace the origins of Chinese culture.
A Mountain Within a City—The Historical Space of Wushan Mountain in Hangzhou
Exhibition period: September 25, 2025 - January 5, 2026
Location: Hangzhou Museum
The exhibition features 217 cultural relics and exhibits, which are presented in five chapters: "The Origin of Wushan", "Echoes of a Thousand Years", "The Flow of Cultural Heritage", "The Footprints of Heroes", and "The Enduring Spirit of the Mountain". The exhibition strings together the past memories of Wushan and tells the story of Hangzhou's urban changes, cultural heritage, and the warmth of its people.
From Jiangnan to Lingnan: A Joint Exhibition of Liangzhu Culture and Shixia Culture
Exhibition period: October 1, 2025 - January 5, 2026
Location: Yujiashan Archaeological Museum
The Liangzhu Culture dates back approximately 5300-4300 years and was mainly distributed in the Taihu Lake region of the lower Yangtze River; the Shixia Culture dates back approximately 5000-4000 years and was widely distributed in northern Guangdong. A total of 156 artifacts (sets) from the Liangzhu and Shixia Cultures are on display, comprehensively presenting the unique features of the two cultures.
Dialogue with Pompeii: An Exhibition of Pompeian Artifacts from the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy
Exhibition period: October 1, 2025 - March 8, 2026
Location: Hangzhou West Lake Museum
The exhibition brings together precious collections from the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, using various artifacts such as frescoes, sculptures, glassware, pottery, and metalwork to recreate the historical appearance and artistic achievements of Pompeii from multiple perspectives.
Shanxi
Yingxian Wooden Pagoda – A Miracle and Echo of a Thousand-Year-Old Wooden Structure
Exhibition period: September 21, 2025 - January 4, 2026
Location: Shanxi Museum
Based on more than 130 high-definition images obtained from professional surveys in recent years, the architectural remains, religious art, and cultural relics of Yingxian Wooden Pagoda have been systematically sorted out.
Shandong
My Family's Cross-Strait Story
Exhibition period: October 31, 2020 - March 1, 2026
Address: Exhibition Hall 4, 1st Floor, Shandong Museum
The exhibition features 136 exhibits, 50 documentary films, and 186 historical photographs, presented in six themed areas: "Traces of Migration to Taiwan," "Crossing the Sea to Leave Home," "Settling Down and Starting a Family," "I Am a Shandong Native," and "Homesickness and Returning Home." It showcases the life stories of people from different eras, weaving together a grand picture of migration in a great era.
Tianjin
A Gentleman's Friendship is as Pure as Water: A Commemorative Exhibition for the 145th Anniversary of Li Shutong's Birth
Exhibition Period: October 23, 2025 - January 30, 2026
Location: Tianjin Museum
An exhibition with a unique perspective, it does not provide a comprehensive overview of the master's life, but instead focuses on the touching stories of his "gentlemanly friendship" with several close friends.
Anhui
Golden Splendor Across China: A Special Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Gold and Silver Artifacts and Their Imprints on Civilization
Exhibition period: September 28, 2025 to January 6, 2026
Location: Shushan Hall, Anhui Museum
The exhibition features a collection of top-tier cultural relics, bringing together exquisite artifacts from important archaeological sites across the country, including Sanxingdui, Haihunhou, Famen Temple, and Ming Dingling.
Hebei
A Small Space, A History of Chinese Ancient Seals: An Exhibition
Exhibition period: September 27 to December 25
Location: Hebei Provincial Museum
Divided into three parts, "Seals from the Qin and Han Dynasties", "Seals Governing the Four Directions", and "Seals Passing Down Through the Ages", the exhibition showcases the evolution of ancient Chinese seals through more than 300 artifacts, including royal seals from 13 cultural and museum institutions such as the Palace Museum.
Boundless Blessings: Auspicious Symbols in the Palace Treasury
Exhibition period: January 22, 2025 - December 31, 2025
Location: Chengde Museum
The museum displays 81 sets of imperial artifacts from the Chengde Mountain Resort Museum, including porcelain, lacquerware, jade, clothing, and Buddhist statues.
Henan
Special Exhibition: Bronze Gourd Pot Unearthed from the Tomb of Zhao Qing in Shanxi Province – A Masterpiece of Natural Beauty
Exhibition period: September 26 - December 21
Location: Henan Museum
In 1988, the well-preserved tomb of Zhao Qing, a high-ranking noble from the State of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period, was discovered in Jinsheng Village, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province. It is the highest-ranking, largest-scale, most richly endowed, and most complete tomb of a high-ranking noble from the State of Jin discovered to date. The bronze gourd-shaped vessel on display was unearthed from the Zhao Qing Tomb.
Guangdong
Mutual Benefit for the World: A Thousand Years of Guangdong's Foreign Trade
Exhibition period: October 15, 2025 - October 15, 2026
Location: Guangdong Provincial Museum
The exhibition brings together more than 200 artifacts from the Guangdong Provincial Museum and other cultural institutions across the country, taking the development of Guangdong's foreign trade over a thousand years as the main thread, and opening a dialogue on maritime trade civilization that spans a thousand years.
Yunnan
Khitan Imprints: Exhibition of Fine Liao Dynasty Cultural Relics from Inner Mongolia
Exhibition period: October 1, 2025 – January 5, 2026
Location: Yunnan Provincial Museum
The exhibition features 160 artifacts/sets from six cultural institutions, including the Inner Mongolia Museum and the Arukorqin Banner Museum, tracing the history of the Khitan people from their rise to their demise in chronological order, covering their political, economic, cultural, and daily life details.
Sichuan
An Encounter from Afar: An Exhibition of Collections from the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Turin, Italy
Exhibition period: August 8 - November 16
Location: Area A, Chengdu Art Museum
This exhibition brings together 66 works by 51 artists from 7 countries from the collection of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Turin, Italy. Representative artists include Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Henri Matisse, Giorgio Morandi, Gustave Courbet, Paul Klee, Salvador Dalí, and others.
Riding a crane down to Yangzhou, where flowers bloom in Chengdu: A Tale of Two Cities during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
Exhibition period: September 29, 2025 - March 31, 2026
Location: Chengdu Yongling Museum
The exhibition centers on the "Tale of Two Cities" of Yangzhou and Chengdu during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It brings together 130 artifacts, comprehensively showcasing the historical landscape of Yangzhou and Chengdu during this era. Among the exhibits are engraved gold Buddha statues, human-shaped silver coffin ornaments, and crane-shaped silver coffin ornaments from Yangzhou, as well as wooden figurines unearthed from the tomb of Princess Xunyang, all of which are being publicly displayed together in Chengdu for the first time.
Hubei
The Yangtze River Flows Through the Ages: Treasures of Ancient Civilization in the Yangtze River Basin
Exhibition Period: September 23, 2025 - January 4, 2026
Location: Panlongcheng Ruins Museum
The exhibition brings together 160 artifacts from 37 cultural and museum institutions, connecting the history of civilization development, craftsmanship characteristics, and artistic achievements of the Yangtze River basin from the Neolithic Age to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, showcasing the important position of ancient Yangtze River civilization in the development of Chinese civilization.
Yishui Hanguang Yixian Dabeicheng Song-Liao Gold and Silverware Hoard Exhibition
Exhibition period: September 27, 2025 - January 5, 2026
Location: Wuhan Museum
Focusing on the Song and Liao dynasty gold and silver hoard unearthed in Dabeicheng, Yi County, the exhibition presents more than 400 pieces (sets) of cultural relics. It showcases the unique features of this hoard through four parts: food artifacts, currency, ornaments, and miscellaneous items, thereby reflecting the integration and mutual learning between northern ethnic groups and the Central Plains culture during the Song and Liao periods.
Gansu
An Eastern Smile Across a Millennium: An Exhibition of Buddhist Sculpture Art
Exhibition period: September 10 - December 10
Location: Gansu Bamboo and Wooden Slips Museum
The exhibition brings together 127 sets of precious cultural relics from the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and 23 cultural and museum institutions in 8 provinces across the country, including Gansu, Henan, Shanxi, and Sichuan. Among them, there are as many as 50 sets of first-class cultural relics. The exhibits cover Chinese gilt bronze Buddhist statues from various dynasties, Buddhist statues unearthed from important hoards and sites, and statues from the four major grottoes.
Jiangxi
Southern Frontier of the Empire – Historical and Cultural Exhibition of the Western Han Dynasty's Nanyue Kingdom
Exhibition period: September 26 - December 26
Location: Nanchang Han Dynasty Haihunhou State Site Museum
The exhibition features 125 sets of unearthed artifacts from sites such as the Tomb of the King of Nanyue and the ruins of the Nanyue Palace. This exhibition marks the first "cross-temporal dialogue" between the Nanyue Kingdom and the Haihunhou Kingdom. Both were located on the southern frontier of the Western Han Empire, but each had its own unique characteristics: the Nanyue Kingdom integrated the Central Plains and the Baiyue peoples, connecting land and sea, demonstrating openness and inclusiveness; the Haihunhou Kingdom inherited the royal and feudal system, reflecting the glory of the Western Han Dynasty. Their juxtaposition vividly portrays the social landscape of the southern region from the early to the mid-late Western Han Dynasty, providing evidence of the grand, unified yet diverse landscape of the Western Han period.
Hunan
Golden Light and Shadow: Art of Gilt Bronze Buddhist Statues from Various Dynasties in the Collection of the Museum
Exhibition period: June 12, 2025 - May 19, 2026
Location: Special Hall 3, 3rd Floor, Hunan Provincial Museum
The exhibition focuses on more than 100 exquisite gilt bronze Buddhist statues from the Hunan Provincial Museum. The exhibition is divided into four parts, showcasing classic Buddhist sculptural styles and artistic schools from the Wei and Jin Dynasties to the present day.
Shaanxi
Bronze Ingots in China: The Rise and Prosperity of China's Bronze Age
Exhibition period: May 18 - November 17
Location: Shaanxi History Museum
Focusing on the development of China's bronze civilization, the exhibition systematically presents the rise and prosperity of the bronze civilization of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties and its shaping of the Chinese ritual and music genes through three major sections and 341 sets of cultural relics from 51 cultural and museum institutions across the country.
The First Light of Civilization: Longzhong Painted Pottery Art Exhibition
Exhibition period: Until December 31
Location: Qinling Museum, Shaanxi Province
The exhibition brings together 149 pieces (sets) of precious painted pottery from eight cultural and museum institutions in central Gansu, leading visitors through time to the bright "early light" moment of prehistoric China and allowing them to experience the aesthetic taste of our ancestors in turning clay into pottery.
Taiwan
"A Hundred Years of the Jiazi Cycle" Special Exhibition
Exhibition period: October 4, 2025 – January 4, 2026
Location: National Palace Museum, Taipei
The exhibition covers a wide range of categories, including calligraphy, painting, artifacts, rare ancient books, and archival documents, presenting a total of 153 pieces/sets of cultural relics. Five national treasure-level calligraphy and painting masterpieces are on display for a limited time: Wang Xizhi's "Three Letters on Peace and Prosperity with Oranges" from the Jin Dynasty, Su Dongpo's "Cold Food Festival Poem" from the Northern Song Dynasty, Huang Gongwang's "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" (Wuyong Master Scroll) from the Yuan Dynasty, Huang Jucai's "Mountain Partridge and Thorn Sparrow" from the Song Dynasty, and Wu Yuanzhi's "Red Cliff" from the Jin Dynasty.
