Theexhibition themed on “Metropolitan Life in Chang’an: Spectacles from theCapital of the Tang Dynasty” kicked off in Zhejiang University Museum of Artand Archeology on December 1. A selection of 167 artefacts intimately relatedto the daily life of Chang’an residents were on display, unfolding a scroll oftheir lively and dynamic life. The audience is thus ushered into the ancientcapital of the Tang Dynasty to relive the daily life of the ancient China atits zenith.

“ZhejiangUniversity has long been committed to strategic cooperation with various citiesand provinces. It has signed strategic cooperation framework agreementswiththe Cultural Relics Bureau of Shaanxi Province, Xi’an MunicipalPeople’s Government and the Cultural Relics Bureau of Xi’an City, in an effortto multiply resource sharing and utilization in regard to cultural heritageresearch, education and preservation,” said HUANG Xianhai, Vice President ofZhejiang University at the opening ceremony.

“Weco-organize the exhibition in the hope of introducing to the general public thestate-of-the-art research into the civilizations of the Zhou, Qin, Han, andTang dynasties, telling the story behind cultural relics, and disseminatingancient China’s fascinating traditional culture,” said YU Hongjian, Director ofXi’an Museum.

Chang’an,the capital of the Tang Dynasty, was founded in the late sixth century duringthe Sui Dynasty, and it was originally called “Daxing City”. Archaeologicalevidence reveals that Chang’an was the largest city in the world at that timewith an area of about 84 square kilometers. Moreover, its rigorous urbanplanning, complete infrastructure and superb architecture made it aworld-renowned metropolis, far ahead of its time. The residents of Chang’anenjoyed the most profuse material and cultural life of the time. The life ofevery resident, from aristocrats to commoners, reflected the spirits ofaffluence, optimism and vigor.

Avolume about Chang’an people’s life in the Tang Dynasty can epitomize thestrength and greatness of an era and the resilience and confidence of a nation.The prosperity of Chang’an in the Tang Dynasty mirrors an open, pluralistic andconfident culture which is still of immense significance to today’s culturalconstruction.

Thisexhibition is co-organized by Zhejiang University and the Cultural RelicsBureau of Xi’an City and is jointly staged by Zhejiang University Museum of Artand Archaeology, Xi’an Museum, and Xi’an Institute of Cultural RelicsProtection and Archaeology. It is scheduled to be held between December 1 andApril 20.