Ancient Shu Civilization Shines at UN Headquarters

“The Light of the Sun—Ancient Shu Civilization and the World”exhibition recently opened at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. 

Themed on solar worship, the exhibition features informational panels, cultural relics, art installations, and multimedia interactions. It showcases the forms and meanings of sun worship in ancient civilization such as ancient Egypt, 

Mesopotamia, ancient India, ancient Greece and the ancient Shu. The exhibition highlights humanity’s common pursuit of light and life, and conveys message of coexistence and mutual prosperity among civilizations.

The ancient Shu civilization is a shining star in the Chinese civilization. Cultural relics unearthed from the Sanxingdui and Jinsha sites not only demonstrate the developed bronze civilization of the ancient Shu Kingdom but also reveal its exchange and mutual influence with the Central Plain, the Yangtze River Basin, and even other world regional civilizations. The highlight at the exhibition is the “Gold Sun Bird Ornament”, the core symbol of China's cultural heritage, with its exquisite hollow-out craftsmanship and rotating solar imagery, it reflects the ancient Shu people’s view of the universe. Other cultural relics, such as the gold crown belt and the gold-masked human head showcase a unique political system and religious system where theocracy and monarchical power were deeply intertwined.

To enhance international audience engagement, the exhibition features a multimedia installation titled “Return to the Ancient Shu”, which combines 270-degree surround projection and floor projection, employing cutting-edge technology such as naked-eye 3D and 3D animation. What is more, visitors can “travel” to the archaeological excavation site of the Jinsha site with the help of interactive devices such as VR glasses to get a thrilling close-up watch at the cultural relics unearthed.

The exhibition, which marks the debut of the ancient Shu civilization represented by Sanxingdui and Jinsha at the UN Headquarters, will run through to June 20.

Source: HomeinChengdu