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The exhibition tells Lingnan's history from Neolithic times to the Qing Dynasty. Photo provided to China Daily
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Central Plain, or Zhongyuan, refers to the area on the lower reaches of the Yellow River that is believed to have formed the cradle of Chinese civilization. On the contrary, the Lingnan area used to be called the "southern barbarian land".
"If you look carefully, you will discover that the communication between Lingnan and Central Plain can be dated back to at least 3,000 years," Chow says. "For instance, we can infer it from the archeological finds in Hong Kong of pottery tripods during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220), which was common in Han culture in Central Plain, that Han culture had been already introduced into the Lingnan area almost 2,000 years ago.
"The exhibition can correct people's stereotype that Lingnan was a 'southern barbarian land', with the exhibits of daily tools and handicrafts showcasing the ancient civilization in Lingnan," he adds.
The Hong Kong curator compares archeology to playing jigsaw, piecing relics together to represent the history for the public. It is a time and effort-consuming project. The exhibition's fourth section exposes visitors to the advanced techniques in archeology.
"Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are leading the country in the field of underwater archeological technology," Wei Jun, curator of Guangdong Museum, says when pointing to the state-of-the-art equipment in the cabinet.
Children will be excited to see the huge setting in which a mannequin dressed as a diver hunts for archeological treasures under the sea.
The museum has also designed a game for kids to play the role of an archeologist digging out relics in the sand.
Visitors of any age will have fun making rubbings of the intriguing textures of some relics at the interactive event's location.
In March, there will be public lectures on the first three Saturdays of the month, given by Guangdong archeologists about some of the biggest finds in the province in recent years.
The exhibition will tour Hong Kong and Macao after the Guangdong debut.
"People in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have the same roots. It's meaningful to review our connections in the past," Tsang Tak-sing, secretary for the Home Affairs Bureau of Hong Kong, says.
IF YOU GO
Guangdong Museum
2 Zhujiang Donglu (East Road), Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe district, Guangzhou.
Exhibition: 9 am-5 m, until March 28 (closed on Mon). Hall 1, 3/F of the museum, 020-3804-6886.
Lectures: 3 pm, March 1, 8 and 15. Lecture Hall, 1/F of the museum. 020-3804-6849.
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