The exhibition Wu Zetian: The Only Female Emperor of China was unveiled on October 26 at the Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. The exhibition features 105 artifacts from the collections of Luoyang Museum, Longmen Grottoes Academy , Luoyang City Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute , Zhenjiang Museum, Gongyi Museum , Henan Museum, Yanshi Museum and Xin’an County Museum. It delves into the fascinating world of Wu Zetian, offering visitors a deeper understanding of her life and era in the social and historical context of China’s Tang dynasty (618–907 CE).
Nearly 30% of the artifacts are being displayed in Europe for the first time. To immerse Dutch visitors in the “world” of Wu Zetian, the exhibition employs a first-person narrative style, with Wu Zetian "telling" the story of her own legendary life.
The Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics is renowned for its extensive collection of Chinese ceramics. The museum’s director, Kris Callens, emphasized the museum’s commitment to fostering cultural exchange between East and West through exhibitions of cultural relics. He also expressed pride in hosting the exhibition’s first international showing in the Netherlands.
Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands, Tan Jian, noted that 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation between China and the Netherlands, as well as the 50th anniversary of The Exhibition of Archaeological Finds of the People's Republic of China in the Netherlands. He reaffirmed China’s readiness to work hand-in-hand with the Netherlands to deepen cultural exchanges and cooperation, and to promote sustained and steady development of bilateral relations between the two nations.
The exhibition is open until May 25, 2025.
Source: China News