Exhibition of 97 Northern Wei Artifacts from Luoyang Museum, Datong City Museum, and Hulunbuir Museum in China
Highlighting the History of Northern Wei, the First Chinese Minority Xianbei Tabgach State Established in Central Plains
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Hansung Baekje Museum is opening a special exhibition, prepared over three years in collaboration with the National Buyeo Museum, to mark the Year of Korea-China Cultural Exchange.
On the 16th, the Hansung Baekje Museum in Seoul announced that it will hold an exhibition based on the exhibition exchange agreement signed in 2019 among five institutions: the National Buyeo Museum in Buyeo County, Luoyang (洛陽) Museum in China, Datong (大同市) Museum in China, and Hulunbuir (呼倫貝爾) Museum in China.
The exhibition highlights the history of the Northern Wei (北魏) (386?535), which marked the Northern and Southern Dynasties period in China contemporaneous with the ancient global state of Baekje, and the Xianbei Tuoba clan who founded the state.
The Northern Wei was a pivotal state not only in Chinese history but also in East Asian history. This exhibition allows visitors to observe how the Han-centered ‘Zhonghua (中華)’ worldview created new cultures through exchange and fusion with surrounding regions. Additionally, the Northern Wei developed Buddhism as a state religion, influencing Buddhist culture on the Korean Peninsula through sites such as the Yungang Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes, and Yongning Temple.
The representative artifact of this exhibition is the ceremonial procession pottery figurines (儀仗行列陶俑), which demonstrate the cultural diversity of Northern Wei. The various figurines in the procession reveal a coexistence and fusion of cultures, including the attire of northern nomadic peoples and Han Chinese, the appearance of Westerners, as well as camels, oxen, and horses.
In a situation where exchanges have been difficult due to COVID-19, a special exhibition has been arranged to bring Chinese artifacts for direct viewing. The exhibition opens on the 17th and will be free to the public until February 27 of next year.
Due to the spread of COVID-19, there will be no opening ceremony. Visitors can freely view the exhibition after completing vaccination proof and negative test verification procedures (quarantine pass). During the special exhibition period, two related lectures will also be held.
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