Five Stars Rising in the East: Exhibition of Hotan Historical Relics opened on December 30th, 2022 at the Beijing World Art Museum, sited at the China Millennium Monument. The exhibition is jointly organised by the Chinese National Museum of Ethnology, the Beijing World Art Museum, the Capital Museum and the Hotan Museum.
The exhibition features Hotan jade, Khotan music and dance, scripts and documents, trade and transportation, and the dissemination of Buddhism. Of 220 exquisite relics from the organizers and several other museums and cultural institutions, 56% are from the collections of the Hotan Museum. Through a large number of archaeological remains and excavated relics, the exhibition recreates ancient Hotan from the pages of history. It recounts the magnificent tales of exchanges and integration among peoples along the Silk Road, as well as the cultural connections, spiritual links and emotional attachment between ancient Hotan and the Central Plains.
Hotan, located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, also known as Khotan in ancient times, was one of the thirty-six kingdoms under the administration of the Protectorate of the Western Regions in the Han dynasty (202BC-220AD). Hotan was an important hub on the southern route of the Silk Road, and a setting for cultural exchanges between the East and the West.
The Han dynasty silk brocade armband embroidered with eight Chinese characters literally meaning “Five Stars Rising in the East, benefiting China” is one of the highlights of this exhibition. Despite being a replica, the precious artifact is recreated with original weaving techniques on an original Han-dynasty jacquard machine. “Five Stars Rising in the East, benefiting China” is an astrology term as well as a cordial wish.
The exhibition is open until February 5th, 2023.
Source: National Cultural Heritage Administration of China, Beijing Daily
Photo Credit: People’s Daily