Hong Kong Palace Museum | Bank of China (Hong Kong) Presents: The Origins of Chinese Civilisation

8001. Dragon

Jades and dragons are two key elements of Chinese civilisation. Take a moment to look at the jade dragon in front of you—it comes from the mid-to-late Hongshan culture that dates back 5,000 to 6,000 years. The sites associated with this culture are located in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Liaoning Province and represent the early development of Chinese civilisation. A large number of jades have been excavated in these areas, with jade dragons being the most representative finds. This jade dragon features a slim, elongated body, a snout that extends upward, and a long mane that gives it a sense of motion. It is one of the earliest objects used in the worship of dragons and reflects the spiritual beliefs of the Hongshan people.

8002. Cong-tube

Look closely at the shape of this artefact and at the delicate carvings. It is an elongated square object called a cong-tube, one of the most representative items of the Liangzhu culture that dates back 4,300 to 5,300 years. The most important feature of the Liangzhu culture was the use of jade, particularly in burial practices. Jade cong-tubes with complex joints and upright positions like this one commonly date to the late Liangzhu period. Some from this period have as many as 15 tiers.

Can you imagine how the Liangzhu ancestors crafted such beautiful jade objects 4,000 to 5,000 years ago? Picture this: there were no machines to cut and polish jade. Everything was done by hand. These artisans went through each step with great skill—roughing, shaping, polishing, engraving, and finally finishing their cong-tubes. The exquisite craftsmanship is evident in the flint-engraved lines on jade objects, which are as thin as silk; sometimes there are five to six engraved lines within the width of just one millimetre.

8003. Jia-vessel

Let’s take a moment to explore the incredible journey of bronze making during the development stage of Chinese civilisation. This period was transformative, as bronze making underwent significant changes that marked the beginning of the Chinese Bronze Age. One of the methods of bronze making is to inject the liquid metal into prefired moulds made of clay pieces. After the liquid is cooled and solidified, the artisan breaks the moulds and processes to obtain a predetermined shape. This technique is known as piece-mould casting, and this bronze jia from the Erlitou site in Henan Province was made using this technique.

Like other bronze ritual vessels, which were produced for and exclusively used by the elite, this piece reflects the emergence of a complex society characterised by distinct classes and a division of labour. Isn’t it intriguing to think about how these vessels played a role in shaping the social structure?

8004. Pendant in the shape of a pair of owl-like animals

This pendant was found lying on the belly of the deceased when the tomb was excavated. It is flat and platy. On the front side, an animal head with a sharp beak and large rounded eyes is carved at the top. A similar figure is symmetrically positioned at the bottom. What do you think it resembles? (Wait for 3 seconds.) An owl!

This artefact might have been related to the nature worship of the Hongshan culture. The Niuheliang site in Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province, is one of the most important sites of the Hongshan culture, dating back 5,000 to 6,500 years. Multiple jades in the shape of birds were excavated from tombs there, and clay fragments of birds have also been found in the Goddess Temple at the site. These discoveries suggest that birds had a specific significance for the people of the Hongshan culture. In the same showcase, you can also see a jade bird from the Hongshan culture, which was also excavated at the Niuheliang site.

8005. Yue-axe

In front of you is a stone axe from the Lingjiatan culture in Anhui Province that dates back 5,300 to 5,800 years. The yue was originally an axe, but its function evolved from utilitarian tool to weapon. This stone axe has a form like a jade axe, and its pristine cutting edge suggests that it was intended to symbolise the military power of the deceased rather than having practical use.

The similarities between this stone axe and the jade axe excavated at Lingjiatan, along with the lack of wear on the blade, again indicate that it was more a ceremonial artefact than a tool.

8006. Finger ring with cicada

Here we have a jade ring from the middle to late Dawenkou culture that dates back 4,600 to 5,500 years. What’s particularly intriguing about this ring is the cicada carved on its surface. Can you guess why ancient people might have chosen the cicada? Some scholars believe it was seen as a medium for communicating with the gods, for it has a remarkable ability to sense when it is about to rain.

During the middle and late periods of the Dawenkou culture, the production of jade artefacts became increasingly professional. Specialised workshops emerged. Jades have been found in nearly half of the burials at the Jiaojia site, which suggests that Jiaojia was an important jade-using centre in the Yellow River valley during prehistoric times.

8007. Drum

This drum was excavated at the Taosi site in Shanxi Province. It has a round body with four sound holes at the bottom and a cylindrical neck with pegs around the rim to secure a skin membrane over the opening. The surface is decorated with appliqué and cord patterns.

Drums like this have been excavated only in large-scale tombs of the early Taosi culture, where they are often found together with stone chimes and another type of drum with a tapering body. The earthenware drums are believed to have served as ritual objects and status symbols. Archaeologists have retrieved a drum like this one in northern Shaanxi Province, where the Shimao sites are located, suggesting a connection between the people of the Taosi and Shimao cultures.

8008. Relief with tigers and a human face

This stone relief is from the ancient city of Shimao in Shaanxi Province, the largest city site in East Asia of the late 3rd millennium BC ever discovered. Most of the buildings in the ancient city of Shimao are richly decorated. For example, the pavement and walls of the grand platform known as Huangchengtai are carved with low reliefs depicting human and animal faces. And the parapet walls feature dozens of relief patterns.

The scale of the Shimao ancient city is truly impressive. Just think about the immense number of labourers required for its construction! The city’s size reflects the ability of rulers to mobilise the population, and the decoration of the complex reflects the ideology of the people. Mass mobilisation and spiritual life are both features of the formative stage of Chinese civilisation.

8009. Shimao site

In the northwest part of China, in Shenmu county, Shaanxi province, lies a Neolithic-period city, Shimao, dating back 3,800 to 4,300 years. This ancient city was built of stone. It made use of the natural environment and the city's built infrastructure for defence.

Shimao was the largest city in East Asia during the late third millennium BCE. It covers 4 million square metres.

We are now going through the east gate of the outer city. The entrance was fortified with a barbican and gate towers.

We get closer to the centre of the city, the Huangchengtai. Important buildings stood on this flat-top pyramid, including palaces.

Beneath the ground were some jade axes, which might have been used as protective amulets.

The scale of the city and the impression stone reliefs reflect the rulers' mobilisation capabilities and the beliefs of the people. Both mobilisation and a spiritual life are characteristics of the formative stage of Chinese civilisation.

The city was abandoned after 500 years of use, and the reasons remain a mystery. The remarkable discovery of the site is more than significant. It has deepened, and will continue to deepen, our understanding of the origins, formation, and development of Chinese civilisation.