On January 18, the exhibition titled "Twin Stars Illuminating the World: The Ancient Shu Civilization of the Sanxingdui and Jinsha Sites" opened at the National Museum of China (NMC). This exhibition brings together more than 200 exquisite artifacts unearthed from the Sanxingdui and Jinsha sites. It vividly presents the archaeological journey and rich cultural legacy of these sites, reflects the life and spiritual world of the ancient Shu people, and reveals the close connections between the ancient Shu civilization and the Central Plains, as well as the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

This exhibition is guided by the National Cultural Heritage Administration, hosted by the National Museum of China and the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, and organized by the Sanxingdui Museum, the Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum, the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute, and the Chengdu Municipal Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. The exhibition will last until August 18.

Unveiling the Grandeur and Splendor of Ancient Shu Civilization

As the largest and culturally richest capital site complex of their period in the Yangtze River basin, the Sanxingdui and Jinsha sites together represent the pinnacle of the Bronze Age civilization in China, providing key and convincing archaeological evidence for the integration of Chinese civilization. The exhibition gradually unveils the grandeur and splendor of the ancient Shu civilization through four thematic sections: "Hidden Wonders Awakened", "The World of Human and Gods", "Honoring Heaven and Earth", and "Mutual Integration and Shared Inspiration".

Huang Qian, a curator at the National Museum of China, introduced that the section "Hidden Wonders Awakened: Treasures of Ancient Shu" revisits the extraordinary story behind the Sanxingdui and Jinsha discoveries. The discoveries of the two sites have been hailed as among the most significant archaeological finds in China of the 20th century and the early 21st century, respectively, and both are honored among China's top 100 archaeological discoveries of the century. They share a common lineage, together sketching a brilliant panorama of Chinese civilization in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

The section "The World of Human and Gods: The Ancient Shu People and Their Lives" uses artifacts to outline the splendid bronze civilization of ancient Shu. From the bronze assemblages, masks, and gold scepters of the Sanxingdui site to the small bronze standing figures and gold crown bands unearthed at the Jinsha site, each discovery reveals aspects of the composition of the ancient Shu population and their social structure, characterized by the "parallel authority of kingship and theocracy".

The section "Honoring Heaven and Earth: Beliefs and Sacrifices" showcases the romantic imagination and extraordinary creativity of the ancient Shu people. Artifacts such as jades used in rituals honoring heaven and earth, masks with eyes gazing into the distance, and deity statues merging human and avian forms illustrate the elevated status of religious worship in the social life of the ancient Shu state. These ancient Shu treasures associated with worship have not only rewritten the intellectual map of China's Bronze Age but also provided a valuable template for comparative studies with other ancient civilizations in the world in areas such as deities, sacrificial rituals, and idolatry.

The section "Mutual Integration and Shared Inspiration: Craft Innovation and Exchange" provides a detailed analysis of how Sanxingdui-Jinsha culture absorbed and innovated upon influences from neighboring civilizations. Bronze objects, represented by the Sanxingdui Bronze Sacred Trees, exemplify localized technological innovation through the creative use of a "core-armature with strip-like core supports" and cast-on joining techniques. The Sanxingdui-Jinsha sites showcase an extraordinary scale of gold usage, sophisticated melting techniques, and superb craftsmanship, representing the pinnacle of early Chinese precious metalworking. Jade artifacts such as collared bi discs and fish-shaped zhang blades feature unique forms and highly distinctive regional craftsmanship.

Many Key Cultural Relics Debut at NMC

This exhibition marks the return of ancient Shu artifacts to the NMC after an eight-year absence, with many items making their debut at the institution.

Leading the exhibition is the Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum's prized treasure, the Sun and Immortal Birds Gold Ornament. Its exquisite design of divine birds encircling the sun symbolizes auspiciousness, while its manufacturing techniques and gold content of 94.2 percent exemplify the pinnacle of gold craftsmanship in the ancient Shu state. This artifact is permitted to "travel" for exhibitions only on special occasions. It will make a grand finale appearance at this exhibition, on display from June 13 to August 18.

Zhang Qing, Director of the Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum, stated that among the museum's exhibited artifacts, 37 items (sets) are being shown outside the museum for the first time, including representative pieces such as bronze standing figures and the jade zhang blade with an animal-head finial. After the exhibition concludes, all exhibits will be returned to their respective museums. These artifacts depict the cultural landscape of ancient Shu society from multiple dimensions. Among them, animal-shaped artifacts such as the frog-like gold foil and the stone tiger vividly reflect the ancient Shu people's animistic worship of nature. Gold items like the gold crown band and the openwork trumpet-shaped gold object demonstrate the period's advanced metallurgical techniques. The jade zhang blade bearing a motif of a figure carrying an ivory tusk graphically restores the solemn context in which the ancient Shu people utilized ivory. Additionally, uniquely distinctive artifacts such as the stone chimes and the jade tablet with a bas-relief of insects further highlight the diversity of Chinese culture.

Artifacts from the Sanxingdui Museum are equally significant. Zhu Yarong, Deputy Director of the Sanxingdui Museum Scenic Area Management Committee, introduced that a series of artifacts will be presented, including the bronze head with gold foil mask, the mysterious and uncanny bronze mask with crown and protruding eyes, as well as the grand bronze standing man (replica), the bronze standing figure wearing a skirt, the dragon-shaped column bronzeware, the sun-shaped bronzeware, and the bronze standing figure holding a bird.

It is worth noting that the bronze mask with crown and protruding eyes from the Sanxingdui Museum collection will be displayed alongside its counterpart from the National Museum of China—a side-by-side presentation. This marks the first time since the 1986 excavation of the Sanxingdui sacrificial pits that these two iconic bronze masks have been displayed together.

Furthermore, to more clearly illustrate cultural interactions across ancient China, curators have specially included in the exhibition a selection of precious artifacts culturally linked to Sanxingdui and Jinsha, such as the dragon and tiger zun vessel excavated in Funan, Anhui, and the jade cong tube unearthed in Yuhang, Zhejiang. These artifacts will collectively stage a trans-temporal and trans-spatial dialogue of civilizations, allowing the audience to viscerally experience the profound depth and inclusive spirit of Chinese civilization.