The exhibition is jointly organised by the Development Bureau (DEVB) and the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA). It features significant archaeological finds unearthed on the Chinese Mainland and in Hong Kong, showcasing the dynamic and innovative Han dynasty, a golden era that made profound contributions to promoting exchanges between Chinese and Western civilisations.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said that the Han and Tang dynasties were both golden eras in Chinese history, leaving behind a wealth of important historical legacies for the Chinese nation. Following the success of the "Tang Vogue Beyond the Horizons: A Golden Era of Multicultural Integration and Openness" exhibition jointly organised by the DEVB and the NCHA last year, both parties collaborated again to present a large-scale Han dynasty-themed artefact exhibition this year. She eagerly anticipates that through these precious artefacts, members of the public and tourists will learn more about the glorious history of the Han dynasty and appreciate the remarkable virtues of traditional Chinese culture. They will also discover a fresh perspective through the narratives conveyed by the artefacts from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland.

Other officiating guests at the opening ceremony of the exhibition were the Director of Art Exhibitions China, Mr Tan Ping; the Second-level Inspector of the Department of Publicity, Cultural and Sports Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Chen Xinyu; the Chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, Professor Desmond Hui; and the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Built Heritage Conservation, Professor Douglas So.

The exhibition is presented in six thematic sections, covering political system, economic development, culture and beliefs, scientific and technological development, social life and external exchanges. It features 252 pieces/sets of invaluable exhibits. Among them, 203 pieces/sets, including 40 grade-one cultural relics, come from 29 museums and cultural institutions in 14 provinces and autonomous regions on the Chinese Mainland, and most of them are being shown in Hong Kong for the first time. The remaining 49 pieces/sets are significant archaeological finds dating to the Han period unearthed in Hong Kong, painstakingly selected by the Antiquities and Monuments Office of the DEVB.

The star exhibits from the Chinese Mainland highlight the Han precious bronze horse-leading figurine and bronze horse; an eaves end tile with Chinese characters Han Bing Tian Xia (Han unifies the realm); a seven-storey painted pottery granary house with linked pavilion; the Yi Li (Etiquette and rites) wooden slips, a bronze fang vessel of Inner Treasury of Zhongshan, a gold linzhi hoof, the silk letter from Yuan to Zifang and arithmetical slips unearthed at the Xuanquan relay station site in Dunhuang; a silk manuscript of Yinyang Wuxing (Yinyang and the Five Elements) Article B; a silk padded robe with Chang Shou (longevity) embroidery on a crimson purple juan (plain weave silk) ground; gloves with lozenge pattern; padded socks; and a lacquered wooden plate with leopard cat motif and Chinese characters Jun Xing Shi (food for the honoured guest) and a silver box with garlic pattern. Other exhibits cover a variety of categories, ranging from Han bamboo slips, coins, bronze vessels, clothes and ornaments to pottery figurines, pottery houses and agricultural tools, which present the daily lives of various social strata in the Han period.

The key exhibits unearthed in Hong Kong include a pottery house unearthed at Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb, as well as the Han period artefacts excavated at local significant archaeological sites such as Tung Wan Tsai in Ma Wan, So Kwun Wat in Tuen Mun and Kau Sai Chau in Sai Kung, covering Wuzhu bronze coins, a textile fragment, a stone seal, a bronze ear-cup, jade slotted rings and glass beads. These relics reflect that the Han culture had long been rooted in Hong Kong, and showcase the city's connection with the country, the pluralistic nature of the Chinese culture and Hong Kong's links with the early Maritime Silk Road trade.

Admission to the exhibition is free. Details are as follows:

Date: March 20 to September 20
Opening hours:
Monday to Wednesday and Friday: 10am to 6pm
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: 10am to 7pm
Closed on Thursdays (except public holidays)
Venue: Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre, Kowloon Park, Haiphong Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Note: Docent services in Cantonese, Putonghua and English are available on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. Enrolment on-site is welcome and no advance booking is required.

For more details about the exhibition and docent services, as well as a highlight video of the exhibition, please visit the Antiquities and Monuments Office website (www.amo.gov.hk/en/visitor-centre/exhibitions/heritage-discovery-centre/han-exhibition/index.html).

Download key exhibition information and images HERE
Click here to download high- resolution photo

Captions:

1. The opening ceremony of the exhibition titled "The Majestic Han: A Golden Age of Vigour and Cultural Integration" was held today (March 19) at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre. Photo shows the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn (centre); the Director of Art Exhibitions China, Mr Tan Ping (second right); the Second-level Inspector of the Department of Publicity, Cultural and Sports Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Chen Xinyu (second left); the Chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, Professor Desmond Hui (first right); and the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Built Heritage Conservation, Professor Douglas So (first left), officiating at the opening ceremony.

2. Photo shows the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, delivering a speech at the opening ceremony.

3. Photo shows the Director of Art Exhibitions China, Mr Tan Ping, delivering a speech at the opening ceremony.

4. Photo shows the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn (first right); the Director of Art Exhibitions China, Mr Tan Ping (second right); the Chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board, Professor Desmond Hui (second left); and the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Built Heritage Conservation, Professor Douglas So (first left), touring the exhibition.

5. Photo shows the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn (right); the Director of Art Exhibitions China, Mr Tan Ping (centre); and other guests, touring the exhibition.

6. Photo shows the Han precious bronze horse-leading figurine and bronze horse.

7. Photo shows an eaves end tile with Chinese characters Han Bing Tian Xia (Han unifies the realm).

8. Photo shows a seven‑storey painted pottery granary house with linked pavilion.

9. Photo shows the Yi Li (Etiquette and rites) wooden slips.

10.Photo shows the silk letter from Yuan to Zifang unearthed at the Xuanquan relay station site in Dunhuang.

11.Photo shows the arithmetical slips unearthed at the Xuanquan relay station site in Dunhuang.

12. Photo shows a silk-padded robe with Chang Shou (longevity) embroidery on a crimson-purple juan (plain weave silk) ground.

13.Photo shows a lacquered wooden plate with leopard cat motif and Chinese characters Jun Xing Shi (food for the honoured guest).

14.Photo shows a silver box with garlic pattern.

15. Photo shows a pottery house unearthed at Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb in Hong Kong.

16. Photo shows a Wuzhu bronze coin unearthed at the So Kwun Wat site in Tuen Mun.

Hashtag: #TheMajesticHan

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