On June 18, 2026, the special exhibition Monsters and Wonders: An Imaginary Journey among Fantastical Creatures opened at the Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum. The event is jointly organized by the Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum and the Chongqing Culture and Tourism Group. Following the journey of a 17th-century naturalist, the exhibition compares artistic representations of fantastic creatures from East and West, highlighting the distinctive aesthetics of different civilizations while reflecting shared imagination in confronting the unknown.
Centered on fantastic creatures, the exhibition brings together 235 precious sets/pieces of artifacts from more than 20 cultural and museum institutions in China and Italy, creating a platform for dialogue between Asian and European civilizations. Featuring an impressive lineup, 125 Italian artifacts make their debut in Chongqing, including a monumental tapestry from the Royal Palace of Turin, Renaissance sculptures, oil paintings, and others. The Chinese exhibits feature cultural artifacts from the Bashu civilization, such as a bronze phoenix bird unearthed from Sanxingdui and an Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 CE) pottery money tree base in the form of a bixie (evil-warding beast). Among the highlights is a Warring States period (475–221 BCE) bronze belt hook in the shape of a rhinoceros, inlaid with gold and silver, whose separately held components are being displayed together for the first time in nearly 70 years.
The special exhibition is the latest in the museum’s series on exchange and mutual learning among Chinese and world civilizations. In recent years, the museum has actively expanded international cooperation on joint exhibitions, using such projects to promote dialogue between China and the world and to enable global audiences to experience the inclusiveness and appeal of Chinese culture in a diverse cultural context. Closely aligned with the 2026 International Museum Day theme, “Museums Uniting a Divided World,” the exhibition offers a high-quality presentation that underscores the value and significance of exchange and mutual learning among civilizations.
The exhibition is open until October 18.
Source: Museum Headlines