Hong Kong Palace Museum | HKPM Special Exhibition Talk Series: Reunion and Rebirth: Re-interpreting the Objects from the “Sacrificial Pits” at Sanxingdui (about 2500–900 BCE)

Eight “sacrificial pits” have been discovered at Sanxingdui since 1986, astounding the world with the myriad of objects deposited in them, many of which had been deliberately smashed and burnt. How were these pits distributed, and how are they interpreted in the modern context? How did archaeologists locate fragments in different pits and reconstruct the original object from them? Taking on an interdisciplinary perspective, this talk examines the “sacrificial pits” and the artefacts they yielded, as well as the “new life” and significance of these objects in today’s museums.

Dr Shengyu Wang, the speaker and co-editor of the Museum’s new exhibition catalogue Gazing at Sanxingdui: New Archaeological Discoveries in Sichuan, will also share the latest archaeological discoveries at Sanxingdui and the historical and cultural significance of selected artefacts. The talk will be followed by a book signing, where you can meet and interact with the book’s editor. 

This talk accompanies the special exhibition “Gazing at Sanxingdui: New Archaeological Discoveries in Sichuan”, on view in Gallery 8 at the Hong Kong Palace Museum from 27 September to 8 January 2024. The exhibition features 120 remarkable bronze, jade, gold, and pottery objects from around 2,600–4,500 years ago. Nearly half of these were unearthed in the most recent excavations at the Sanxingdui site between 2020 and 2022, and many are being exhibited outside Sichuan for the first time. This exhibition is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, and the Jinsha Site Museum in Chengdu, with the support of the Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the Chengdu Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. Bank of China (Hong Kong) is the Sole Sponsor of this special exhibition.

Gazing at Sanxingdui: New Archaeological Discoveries in Sichuan  

The HKPM’s new publication Gazing at Sanxingdui: New Archaeological Discoveries in Sichuan is now available for sale at the Museum’s gift shop ART EXPRESS by The Commercial Press. Published by the HKPM in three editions (Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and English), it is the first scholarly catalogue that provides an in-depth and systematic exploration of the latest archaeological discoveries at Sanxingdui, comprising 4 essays and 86 object entries written by the HKPM’s curatorial team and scholars from Sichuan and other parts of the world. The catalogue examines the Sanxingdui culture from archaeological, art historical, conceptual, theoretical, and technological perspectives. The Simplified Chinese edition is edited and distributed by the Shanghai Fine Arts Publisher. 

* The Sanxingdui catalogues and the other HKPM publications are available for sale at the Museum’s gift shop ART EXPRESS by The Commercial Press. Special discount will be available on designated Sanxingdui catalogues and merchandise goods on the event day, the offer is only applicable at the sales counter inside the Auditorium. (In case of dispute, the decision of the organisers shall be final.)

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