Nanjing exhibition traces era of north-south exchange

The Jin Dynasty (266-420) is perhaps not among the most celebrated eras in Chinese history, given its political turmoil and prolonged warfare. However, a new exhibition at the Nanjing Municipal Museum in Jiangsu province offers visitors a fresh perspective on this brief yet crucial period in the evolution of a unified Chinese nation.

The Great Southern Migration: From the Western Jin to the Eastern Jin opened to the public on Aug 28. Featuring 225 exhibits from 13 museums across China, it is so far the largest thematic exhibition in the country devoted to the Jin Dynasty.

The Jin Dynasty comprised two periods. In 266, the Western Jin (266-316) was established and gradually reunited the territories divided during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280). With its capital in present-day Luoyang, Henan province, the dynasty controlled a vast territory but soon fell into deep crisis amid rebellions and civil wars. In its final years, large numbers of nobles and civilians moved south across the Yangtze River, marking the beginning of the Eastern Jin (317-420), which ruled much of southern China.

With its capital in present-day Nanjing, the Eastern Jin maintained a fragile balance between the imperial court and powerful aristocratic families. At the same time, the period also witnessed growing interaction between people from northern and southern China, helping lay the foundations for the eventual reunification of the country.

Culture also prospered during the Eastern Jin. Renowned calligrapher Wang Xizhi created his enduring masterpiece Lanting Xu (Preface to the Orchid Pavilion), while painter Gu Kaizhi produced some of his finest works.

The social institutions and approaches to governance that developed during this period also influenced the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, when China was reunited and went on to experience a period of political stability, economic growth and cultural prosperity.

The new exhibition features representative cultural relics, including ceramics, gold artifacts, figurines, and stone rubbings of inscriptions. Many come from major archaeological findings made since 2000, offering a panoramic view of Jin social and economic development as well as everyday life. Some artifacts also shed light on exchanges between China and other countries along the Maritime Silk Road during that period.

The exhibition runs through Jan 4, 2027.