New exhibitions unveiled at Shenzhen Museum

‘Cosmos in a Nutshell’

Experience the millennia-old grandeur of Kaihua Temple in Gaoping, Shanxi Province, through immersive VR. Originally built in 571, the temple preserves architectural elements from the Song (960-1279), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644), and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

Visitors explore Kaihua Temple’s architecture and murals using VR headsets at Shenzhen Museum. Photos from Renmin Wenbo

A visitor admires a digital artwork in a kaleidoscopic space.

The 11th-century murals in the temple’s main hall primarily depict Buddhist stories while also vividly portraying everyday life in the Song Dynasty. The murals are grand in composition and rich in content, featuring numerous finely rendered figures with lifelike detail and brightly colored clothing that conveys texture and aesthetic refinement.

The exhibition’s title, “Cosmos in a Nutshell,” is drawn from a Buddhist image — placing Mount Sumeru within a mustard seed — symbolizing a vast universe within a tiny space and reflecting the murals’ comprehensive vision.

Replica of a section of the Kaihua Temple murals on display.

A glance at the exhibition.

Digital reconstructions of the temple and its murals are based on 20 years of research by Tsinghua University’s School of Architecture with support from cultural-heritage and digital-art organizations.

Dates: Through Nov. 30

Tickets: 49 yuan (various discounts available)

Booking: 人民文博

Venue: Shenzhen Museum’s history and folk culture division, Jintian Road, Futian District 深圳博物馆金田路馆(历史民俗)

Metro: Line 2 or 4 to Civic Center Station (市民中心站), Exit B

‘Shenzhen Folk Art Craft Exhibition’

The 9th Shenzhen Folk Art Craft Exhibition presents the diverse landscape of Shenzhen’s folk arts, featuring more than 200 exquisite works across over 40 categories, including pottery, dough sculpture, cotton sculpture, clay sculpture, paper-cutting, embroidery, pyrography, wheat-straw painting, copper engraving, inkstone carving, and woodcarving.

Exquisite carvings on display. Photos by Cao Zhen

Cloisonné enamelworks and a painted ceramic panel.

A floral piece crafted using filigree inlay technique.

The exhibition brings together works by national, provincial, and municipal masters, inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, and young innovative artists from Guangdong and Hong Kong. Some pieces revive historical classics with exquisite craftsmanship, while others reinterpret contemporary life through inventive approaches.

Dates: Through Nov. 21

Tickets: Free

Venue: Shenzhen Museum’s history and folk culture division, Jintian Road, Futian District 深圳博物馆金田路馆(历史民俗)

Metro: Line 2 or 4 to Civic Center Station (市民中心站), Exit B

‘Blossoms and Blades’

The exhibition featuring nearly 200 treasures of the Mughal Court in the 16th-19th centuries will open soon. In addition to guided tours, the museum will offer an AI guide with bilingual explanations and interactive Q&A.

Dates: Dec. 5, 2025-April 6, 2026

Tickets: 78 yuan (various discounts available)

Booking: 智慧恒达

Venue: Shenzhen Museum’s history and folk culture division, Jintian Road, Futian District 深圳博物馆金田路馆(历史民俗)

Metro: Line 2 or 4 to Civic Center Station (市民中心站), Exit B

‘Starry Splendor on Clay’

This exhibition features more than 100 painted-pottery works from Shenzhen Museum’s collection to explore the craft’s evolving forms, designs, and cultural significance.

Ancient painted pottery on display. Photos courtesy of Shenzhen Museum

An interactive screen provides information about the pottery.

A visitor paints a pottery-themed artwork at the exhibition.

The exhibition brings together recent archaeological research and highlights the Yangshao, Majiayao, Zongri, Kayue, Xindian cultures, and the regionally distinctive Xiantouling culture of Shenzhen.

Visitors can view painted pottery that blends realistic and abstract patterns to reflect nature, daily life, and belief. These wares combine practicality and artistry and represent some of the earliest crafts to integrate painted decoration with shaped form.

Dates: Permanent

Tickets: Free

Venue: Shenzhen Museum’s ancient art division, Tongxin Road, Futian District 深圳博物馆同心路馆(古代艺术)

Metro: Line 9 to Hongling South Station (红岭南站), Exit A

‘Galloping Glory’

As the equestrian competitions of the 15th National Games take place in Guangming District from Nov. 10 to 19, Shenzhen residents have the chance to explore a related cultural event. Shenzhen Museum, in collaboration with the Shaanxi Tang Tricolor Pottery Art Museum, is staging a horse-themed pottery exhibition.

Painted pottery horses from the Tang Dynasty are on display. Photos by Cao Zhen

Painted pottery figurines of Tang Dynasty women playing polo on horseback.

A sancai glazed figurine and a horse from the Tang Dynasty.

A dancing horse from the Tang Dynasty.

The exhibition presents 60 exquisite Tang Dynasty (618-907) artifacts, including sancai (three-color) glazed horses and wares, as well as painted pottery horses and figurines. The flowing, vibrant sancai glazes reflect the cultural exchanges along the ancient Silk Road and the refined craftsmanship of the Tang era.

The exhibition examines the central role of horses in Tang military affairs, the economy, sport, and entertainment, allowing visitors to appreciate China’s equestrian heritage and its historical depth.

Dates: Through March 22, 2026

Tickets: Free

Venue: Shenzhen Museum’s ancient art division, Tongxin Road, Futian District 深圳博物馆同心路馆(古代艺术)

Metro: Line 9 to Hongling South Station (红岭南站), Exit A

Source : ShenzhenDaily