Exploring the Verdant Silk Road Exhibition in Hangzhou: A Cultural Journey Through Time

The highly anticipated exhibition titled "Verdant Paths: The Steppe Silk Road in the 10th to 12th Century" is set to officially open on July 11 at the China National Silk Museum in Hangzhou. This fascinating event is positioned as a highlight of the 2025 Silk Road Week and brings together over 200 artifacts, with more than 60 classified as first-class cultural relics. This showcase offers visitors a unique glimpse into the cultural exchanges that flourished along the ancient Silk Road.

The Steppe Silk Road, which traverses the Eurasian landscape, served as a crucial northern corridor that linked nomadic and agricultural civilizations. Beginning with the Liao Dynasty (916-1125), this route melded the legacies of the Tang dynasty’s grandeur, Song elegance, and the dynamism of Central Asia, facilitating the transfer of ideas, goods, and technologies—ranging from horse domestication to metallurgy—shaping the pluralistic unity of Chinese civilization.

Highlights of the Exhibition


The exhibition is organized into four thematic sections:
1. Origins of the Steppe Silk Road - This segment illustrates the prehistorical beginnings and development during the Liao Dynasty, which transformed the Silk Road into a thriving network of trade.

2. Traces of Nomadic and Agricultural Peoples - This section presents the Khitan’s innovations in governance, crafts (including textiles, ceramics, and metallurgy), and their uniquely blended administrative system that fused nomadic and Han traditional practices.

3. Coexistence of Diverse Civilizations in China - Featuring glass, agate, amber, and crystal artifacts sourced from Persia and the Arab world, as well as diplomatic artifacts from the Song, Xia, and Jin dynasties, this part emphasizes the cultural interconnectivity of various civilizations.

4. Expansion of the Steppe Silk Road - This section embarks on a scholarly voyage along the maritime trade routes established by the Liao Dynasty, focusing on the exchange of celadon, silk, and spices with treasures from Central Asia.

The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, honored as the Guest of Honor for the 2025 Silk Road Week, will elevate the opening ceremony with traditional performances from the morin khuur, a horsehead fiddle. The highlight of the program will be moving renditions of the pieces "Endless Steppes" and "Ten Thousand Galloping Horses," which will create an atmosphere reflecting the ethos and majesty of the nomadic peoples.

The "Verdant Paths" exhibition will be open to the public until October 20, 2025, providing an exceptional opportunity to delve into the timeless heritage of this historic Silk Road corridor. Visitors can look forward to a rich tapestry of history, culture, and artistic expression that continues to inspire modern civilizations.

Exhibition Image

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