On March 15, 2023, the Hall of Literary Brilliance (Wenhua dian) in the Palace Museum hosted the inauguration ceremony for the “Gandhara Heritage along the Silk Road, A Pakistan-China Joint Exhibition” Hu Heping, the Chinese Minister of Culture and Tourism, proclaimed the exhibition’s opening. The opening ceremony was addressed by Moin ul Haque, Pakistani ambassador to China, Fareena Mazhar, federal secretary of the National Heritage and Culture Division of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Wang Xudong, director of the Palace Museum, and Yang Xun, vice chairman and general manager of Glorious Sun Group and chairman of Jeanswest International (Hong Kong) Limited. The ceremony was presided over by Du Haijiang, Party secretary and deputy director of the Palace Museum. Nong Rong, China’s assistant minister of foreign affairs, Du Zhanyuan, president of China International Communications Group, Xie Bing, deputy director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Sha Zukang, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General, Jia Deyong, secretary-general of the International Confucian Association, and Zheng Xinmao, former vice minister of culture, were among the approximately 200 guests invited to the exhibition’s opening ceremony.
Jointly organized by the Palace Museum and the Department of Archaeology and Museums of the National Heritage and Culture Division of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Gandhara art exhibition is the largest of its kind ever held in China. The exhibition, whose preparations began in 2019, was put to the test by the COVID-19 pandemic and had to be delayed multiple times. The initiative was included twice in the Joint Statement between the People’s Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on February 6 and November 2, 2022, and was supported by both countries’ leaders. To assure the successful opening of the exhibition, the Palace Museum coordinated with the Department of Archaeology and Museums of the National Heritage and Culture Division of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and all supporting museums. The purpose of the exhibition is to foster mutual comprehension between China and Pakistan, with a particular focus on enabling the Chinese to comprehend the profound significance of the Gandhara culture.
There are a total of 203 antiquities on display, including 173 from Pakistan and 30 from the Palace Museum. The Pakistani antiquities come from seven museums: the National Museum of Pakistan, the Taxila Museum, the Peshawar Museum, the Islamabad Museum, the Dir Museum, the Swat Museum, and the Hund Museum. Between the 2nd century BCE and the 10th century CE, the majority of these antiquities were unearthed through archaeological excavations. The exhibition displays a variety of well-known Gandhara stone carvings, such as early Buddhist bodhisattva sculptures, Buddha stories, Jataka tales, and stupa architectural components, along with gold and silver ware and jewelry, demonstrating the variety of styles and unique appeal of Gandhara art and the historical context of multicultural integration. The 30 antiquities from the Palace Museum were brought to the west of China’s Tibet Autonomous Region via art centers along the Silk Road on the plateau, such as Swat and Kashmir, from the ancient Gandhara region. The influence of these antiquities on the gold and copper sculpture styles and art of the ancient Guge Kingdom attests to the long history of cultural and artistic exchanges between China and Pakistan.
There are a total of 203 antiquities on display, including 173 from Pakistan and 30 from the Palace Museum. The Pakistani antiquities come from seven museums: the National Museum of Pakistan, the Taxila Museum, the Peshawar Museum, the Islamabad Museum, the Dir Museum, the Swat Museum, and the Hund Museum. Between the 2nd century BCE and the 10th century CE, the majority of these antiquities were unearthed through archaeological excavations. The exhibition displays a variety of well-known Gandhara stone carvings, such as early Buddhist bodhisattva sculptures, Buddha stories, Jataka tales, and stupa architectural components, along with gold and silver ware and jewelry, demonstrating the variety of styles and unique appeal of Gandhara art and the historical context of multicultural integration. The 30 antiquities from the Palace Museum were brought to the west of China’s Tibet Autonomous Region via art centers along the Silk Road on the plateau, such as Swat and Kashmir, from the ancient Gandhara region. The influence of these antiquities on the gold and copper sculpture styles and art of the ancient Guge Kingdom attests to the long history of cultural and artistic exchanges between China and Pakistan.
The archaeological sites of ancient Gandhara are primarily located at the southern end of the Hindu Kush and Karakoram Mountains, which served as a vital center connecting the South Asian subcontinent to the Silk Road. This region was a melting pot of Mediterranean, Iranian, Central Asian steppe, and Indian civilizations, where disparate cultures collided and spawned a variety of vibrant civilizations. The exhibition is separated into three sections: “Land of Fragrance: The Birth of Gandhara Civilization under Multiculturalism”, “The Splendor of Gandhara Art”, and “The Echoes of Gandhara Art.” The exhibition highlights the artistic appeal and influence of Gandhara culture from the perspective of the ancient Gandhara civilization’s evolution.
The archaeological sites of ancient Gandhara are primarily located at the southern end of the Hindu Kush and Karakoram Mountains, which served as a vital center connecting the South Asian subcontinent to the Silk Road. This region was a melting pot of Mediterranean, Iranian, Central Asian steppe, and Indian civilizations, where disparate cultures collided and spawned a variety of vibrant civilizations. The exhibition is separated into three sections: “Land of Fragrance: The Birth of Gandhara Civilization under Multiculturalism”, “The Splendor of Gandhara Art”, and “The Echoes of Gandhara Art.” The exhibition highlights the artistic appeal and influence of Gandhara culture from the perspective of the ancient Gandhara civilization’s evolution.
“Gandhara Heritage along the Silk Road: A Pakistan-China Joint Exhibition” is currently on display at the Palace Museum’s Hall of Literary Brilliance (Wenhua dian). It will continue until 15 June 2023. The exhibition is free of charge for Palace Museum ticket holders. The Palace Museum’s WeChat mini-program must be utilized to make a reservation using a real identity.
Jeanswest International (Hong Kong) Limited is supporting this exhibition.
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