Separate cultures, common rituals of ancient China on display
When the Liangzhu Civilization thrived in the present-day Yangtze River Delta region, another ancient culture, the Hongshan Culture, was active along the Liaohe River in today's northeastern China. They both date back five millennia, and their rituals and artefacts share some similarities.
An ongoing exhibition in the Wulin Pavilion of Zhejiang Museum currently displays artefacts from both Hongshan and Liangzhu areas, offering visitors a unique opportunity to compare the characteristics and similarities.
The whole exhibition is divided into four parts – Glory of Civilization, Worship, Inhabitants and Jade. About 260 sets of relics show how the two cultures traveled through time and space for thousands of years and finally met each other at the diversified origin of Chinese civilization.
Through refined jade artefacts, well-defined hierarchies and agricultural and handicraft skills, Hongshan and Liangzhu people both epitomized the heights that human civilization could reach in that era.
Although they both eventually went into decline, their cultural elements did not die out completely. Together with other Neolithic cultures in China, they became a trickle of water that converged at the source of the 5,000-year-long Chinese civilization.
A river has always been seen as a cradle for human beings, and this was exactly the case for the ancestors of Hongshan. Its relic sites stretch over the drainage basin of Liaohe River which runs through Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Jilin and Liaoning.
Ancestors lived along rivers created a thriving jade culture. The excavated handicrafts feature mature techniques and smooth lines and surfaces. The styles and production techniques resemble those of their counterparts from Liangzhu.
A jade axe from Hongshan is on display in the first part of the exhibition, and it has a symbolic meaning rather than practical use. Ancestors were believed to use it to designate hierarchy. Another stone axe from Liangzhu featuring a similar design suggests that many early characteristics of Chinese civilization were absorbed during the era when different cultures spread.
Large-scale altars were found in both Hongshan and Liangzhu during years of excavation and research. Their jade objects feature deities and mythical creatures, as two different styles of jade birds in the second display hall attest.
Two different styles of jade birds with the feature of Liangzhu culture are the highlights of the exhibition.
The jade axe from Liangzhu Civilization is believed to be used to designate hierarchy.
Ancestors added their own creative aesthetics rather than merely mimic the animals' shapes, showing their admiration to the natural power.
Over the years, 11 early-stage dams and the surrounding agricultural area have been excavated in Liangzhu Civilization area, bringing the past glory to light.
In Hongshan relic sites, jade manufacturing workshops were unearthed. Building such infrastructure required a large labor force and social cohesion, indicating that the era's social structures could support a production chain and people already lived a stable, settled life.
The third part shows symmetric patterned potteries and grinding mortars unearthed from both civilizations. The potteries were churned out on a large scale for both daily use and ritual purposes.
The majority of patterned pottery items feature simple designs and were mainly used as containers. Due to undeveloped firing techniques, the surface layer was too thin to take on a smooth finish. These potteries paved the way for the creation of more complex porcelain in later centuries.
A patterned pottery from Hongshan relic sites.
A grinding mortar from Hongshan relic sites.
Hongshan and Liangzhu people developed complex social structures as their civilizations matured. Rigid ritual systems that laid the foundations for social order and stability were gradually formed, leading to the development of different hierarchies. Jade and ivory artifacts were unearthed in elite tombs, while potteries were found in the burial plots of poorer individuals. Visitors can gain insight into such hierarchies.
On display is a yucong (玉琮), a large jade cylinder with a hole in the middle, a yuyue (玉钺), an axe-like jade ware, and a yujue (玉玦), a "C"-shaped jade which had an etiquette relevance in Hongshan. The design of Hongshan ritual objects is similar to those from Liangzhu.
Among the jade ritual pieces, the yucong with finely etched motifs is very typical of Liangzhu style. The shape symbolizes the orbits of the sun and moon.
Showcased is a yujue (玉玦), a "C"-shaped jade which had an etiquette relevance in Hongshan Culture.
A yucong (玉琮), a large jade cylinder with a hole in the middle, is on display.
"Hongshan Meets Liangzhu" Exhibition
Date: Through March 13, 2022 (closed on Mondays)
Venue: Zhejiang Museum Wulin Pavilion
Address: Zone E, West Lake Culture Square, 581 Zhongshan Rd N
中山北路581号西湖文化广场E区
