Why China: Unsilent Cultural Relics Connotation | World | China
International Online Shaanxi News: With cultural relics as the key, answer the question of "why China". From July 9th to 11th, a visiting delegation from Pakistan, Romania, Mexico, Nicaragua, Thailand, Tunisia, Vietnam, Myanmar and other countries visited cultural relics halls such as the Shaanxi Archaeological Museum, Shaanxi History Museum, Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Museum, and China Bronze Museum to see civilization through cultural relics and China through history.
"Check in China - Hello, Shaanxi!" Visiting delegation visited the China Bronze Museum Photography by Zhang Yuchen
If we do not understand China from its long-standing historical continuity, it is impossible to understand ancient China, modern China, and future China.
At the bottom of the famous ritual vessel He Zun's vessel in the early Western Zhou Dynasty, there is a 122 character inscription with the words "hidden" and "residing in China", which is the earliest written record of the two characters "China" that have been discovered.
Tracing back to ancient times and the present, the word "China" and He Zun shine together, with a cultural connection of three thousand years. Its connotation has continuously evolved, developed, and expanded from the initial division of "within the world", and has merged into the vast stream of Chinese civilization, becoming the beginning of the world's understanding of the origin of "country names" and the origin of "why China".
The inscriptions on bronze artifacts outline the history of the Zhou and Qin dynasties, documenting the evolution of their civilization. The answer to this question is "What is Zhou and Qin?".
Photography by He Zun and Liu Honghua
The archaeological journey that cultural relics have gone through, from underground to above ground, from wilderness to museum collection, is truly a stunning achievement of Chinese civilization.
In March 1974, the Terra Cotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty, which had been sleeping underground for more than 2000 years, were discovered. Afterwards, the Terracotta Warriors, hailed as the eighth wonder of the world, became another symbol of China.
The excavation of all three terracotta pits at the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Museum yielded nearly 8000 pottery figurines and horses. Without looking at the Terracotta Warriors, one cannot truly have been to China. These ancient Chinese people are like "precise portraits", using the style of "thousands of people and thousands of faces" to confirm the uniqueness of Chinese civilization and show the world the "Chinese face" that created civilization.
Photography of Terra Cotta Warriors in the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shihuang Zhang Yuchen
From Qin to Tang, in the Hejia Village Heritage Exhibition Hall of the Shaanxi History Museum, many cultural relics contain exciting stories of cultural exchange behind them.
For example, Gudu Yudai, also known as Kedu Gu, was a small country in Central Asia located between present-day Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Historical records indicate that it had close ties with the Tang Dynasty; For example, the eight petal silver cup with a gold-plated hunting pattern for a lady, the scorpion on the bottom of the cup, the deer on the fingertips, the lady on the outer wall, and the man hunting, fully demonstrate that this is a masterpiece that integrates Eastern and Western culture and art.
These artifacts that have never stopped talking about all prove that civilization has never been in opposition. In the vast space and profound time, Chinese civilization has nurtured cultural genes such as "harmony but diversity" and "harmony among nations", and has also enabled human civilization to learn from each other through exchange and development.
Photography of Liu Honghua in the Golden Beast Head Agate Cup
Only by diving into the long river of history can we find the answer to "why China".
The Shaanxi Archaeological Museum, which opened in 2022, systematically reviews the development process of Shaanxi archaeology since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Using the development history of archaeological disciplines, archaeological theories, interpretation of achievements, cultural preservation concepts and techniques, it dissects the appearance of over 5000 years of civilization history.
Opening the door of the Shaanxi Archaeological Museum, the brilliant and dazzling historical civilization reflects the rapid development of modern rise, which is basically the key to "why China".
"Check in China - Hello, Shaanxi!" Visiting delegation visits Shaanxi Archaeological Museum Photography by Zhang Yuchen
Cultural relics carry splendid civilization, inherit historical culture, and maintain national spirit. From "staying in China" to "what makes China", the magnificent historical songs of thousands of years, the never silent cultural relics, in the name of witnesses of "prosperous China", adhere to China's position, transcend China's limitations, and tell the world "what makes China".
