MUSÉE DE LA CIVILISATION WELCOMES THE TREASURES OF XI’AN Photo : Jacques Lessard Xi’an was China’s first capital city, a prestigious cultural, religious, trade, and economic center where kings and emperors erected palaces and tombs and ran Chinese affairs for 1,200 years. Today, after five years of negotiations with China as part of the partnership between Québec City and the city of Xi’an, the Musée de la civilisation in Québec City is proud to present a remarkable exhibition—Xi’an, Eternal Capital—from December 5, 2001, to September 2, 2002. An invitation of the Commission de la Capitale National and the Bureau de la Capitale Nationale, with the participation of Société Radio-Canada, Le Soleil, and Hôtel Loews le Concorde. China has always been a source of fascination. Its history, civilization, inventions, writing, and language represent a foreign world which is mysterious and compelling in the eyes of Westerners. The Xi’an, Eternal Capital exhibition is a window on the splendor, riches, and elegance of this grand and ancient capital. Over a hundred priceless treasures tell the tale of this great city, and of China as a whole. “This exhibition is one of the crowning achievements of the commercial, economic, educational, and cultural cooperation agreement reached as part of the partnership between Québec City and the City of Xi’an. The project, which was worked out over the past few years, is a sign of our mutual commitment to openness, sharing, and dialogue,” noted Claire Simard, Executive Director of the Musée de la civilisation at the exhibition opening. Artifacts from millennia past Photo : Jacques Lessard The exhibition presents some of the Chinese archeological discoveries made in the region of Xi’an in the province of Shaanxi. All the artifacts are from the Xi’an Office of Cultural Relics and the Qin Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses. These remarkable objects represent the dynasties that marked Xi’an’s history (from the 16th century B.C. to the 10th century A.D.), including the four most important, the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties. For the most part, the artifacts were unearthed from tombs at palace and temple sites in and around Xi’an. They evoke various aspects of Chinese culture, but also bear witness to a complex history—an uninterrupted succession of great expansion and retreat, war and peace, divisiveness and unity. The artifacts are made of materials such as stone, bronze, and terracotta, and include ritual vases, an impressive gallery of figurines and funeral objects, religious icons (sculptures of divinities), weapons, as well as everyday household objects. The highlights of the exhibition are unquestionably the five, life-size terracotta soldiers dating from 200 B.C. These remarkable pieces stood guard over the famous tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuangdi. Other artifacts include sculptures of Buddha, a horseman and a Han immortal, and a series of funeral figures. Photo : Jacques Lessard Terracotta soldiers The history of these famous warriors is a fascinating one. Over twenty-years ago, in 1974, Chinese farmers digging a well in a field near the city of Xi’an made one of the most important archeological discoveries of the 20th century—over 7,000 terracotta warriors, all with different faces, along with assorted weaponry, also in terracotta. In 1979, a museum was set up on the site where the statues were unearthed. 2,600 years of Chinese history spanning four great dynasties Archeological discoveries selected by teams from China and Québec make up the backbone of the exhibition. They mark the themes that are grouped together in chronological order according to the various periods during which the great dynasties ruled in Xi’an. Five main themes illustrate the defining moments in China’s history: ritual life (Zhou dynasty), the unification of Photo : Jaques Lessard the empire (Qin dynasty), the building of the empire (Han dynasty), Buddhism (from the Han to the Tang dynasty), and cosmopolitanism (Tang dynasty). The exhibition prologue paints a brief portrait of China, the City of Xi’an, and the great dynasties. From there, it traces the development of the city, explaining its political, religious, economic, and cultural roles, and highlighting its influence. Xi’an’s influence achieved its peak during the Tang dynasty, an early example of market globalization and the opening of borders to a world of outside influences. The final part of the exhibition, a shadow theater presentation in the ancient tradition, reflects the fact that Xi’an, the grand capital of ancient times, is today a Unesco World Heritage City that is home to an extraordinary wealth of archeological sites. Photo : Jacques Lessard Contemporary Xi’an In conjunction with the exhibition, the Musée de la civilisation presents a remarkable look at this historic city through the eyes of photographer Michel Boulianne. The Contemporary Xi’an exhibit provides a contemporary vision of the daily lives of the city’s inhabitants. Xi’an, Eternal Capital and Contemporary Xi’an are on display at the Musée de la civilisation in Québec City from December 5, 2001, to September 2, 2002. Don’t miss this exciting journey into a fascinating and different world! Presented by the Commission de la Capitale National and the Bureau de la Capitale Nationale, with the participation of Société Radio-Canada, Le Soleil, and Hôtel Loews Le Concorde. Informations: Serge Poulin, [418] 643-2158 Relations publiques et communications Issued : December 4, 2000

_{© Musée de la civilisation}