On the morning of March 14th, “The Return of the Prosperous Age: Special Exhibition of Animal Heads of the Old Summer Palace” was held in Jingzhou Museum Among the twelve bronze zodiac animal heads, the head statues of ox, tiger, horse, monkey and pig were presented in Jingzhou Museum. This is the first time that Yuanmingyuan animal heads are displayed in Jingzhou.
Liu Huiping, member of the Standing Committee and Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Jingzhou Municipal Committee, announced the launch of the "Special Exhibition".
The exhibition is one of the sub-events of the first Chu Cultural Festival, exhibiting the original bronze head statues of ox, tiger, monkey, and pig from the Old Summer Palace, the former imperial resort of the Qing Dynasty, collected by the Poly Art Museum, and replica of the bronze horse-head statue collected by the Old Summer Palace Management Office in Haidian District, Beijing. The fine casting of the bronze statue and vivid details such as the wrinkles and hairs on the animal heads showcase the super high quality of the techniques in ancient China. The exhibition hall used graphic and textual introductions to tell the story of the birth of the animal heads, their lost in overseas and their return to China.
Wang Nan, a visitor, said: "I've only seen these animal heads on TV before, and I marvel at the advanced casting techniques and craftsmanship spirit of the ancients.”
Dong Xing, another visitor, said: “I knew Jingzhou Museum would hold an exhibition of animal heads from the Old Summer Palace when I browsed Tik Tok in February this year, and I have been looking forward to it since then. I think the visiting today is rewarding. Even the textures on the animal heads are clearly visible. That's amazing. As a Chinese, I feel proud of it. “
The bronze heads were originally components of the twelve zodiac fountains outside Haiyan Hall of the Old Summer Palace. It was designed by western painters and manufactured by Chinese court craftsmen during the period of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, blending characteristics of Eastern and Western cultures. The animal heads were lost in overseas after the Old Summer Palace was looted and torched by British and French force in 1860. Since the 21st century, seven animal-head statues have returned to China through state-owned enterprise bidding and donations from Chinese businessmen. The exhibition aims to highlight the hardship, struggles, explorations and great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation by telling the story about the craftsmanship, lost and return of the bronze animal-head statues of the Old Summer Palace. The return of the cultural relics rallies public support, boosts popular morale, and symbolizes the enhancement of national strength.
Poly Art Museum, one of the organizers of this exhibition, is the first art museum in China established by a large state-owned enterprise. By the end of 2022, it had held the "Yuanmingyuan National Treasure Exhibition Tour" in more than 100 cities across China, receiving more than 28 million visitors.
Zhan Chunhui, Director of the Exhibition Department of Poly Art Museum, said: "The head statues of Ox, tiger and monkey were rescued from an auction in Hong Kong in 2000; the pig-head statue was donated by Macau industrialist Stanley Ho in 2003; the horse-head statue was also purchased by Mr. Stanley Ho in 2007 and then donated in 2019; and the rat-head statue and rabbit-head statue were donated by the French Pinot family in 2013. So far, only seven of twelve bronze heads have returned to China, but the whereabouts of the remaining five head statues of dragon, snake, sheep, rooster, and dog are still unknown.”
The Special Exhibition started on March 14 and will last until April 9. It will be opened from 9 am to 6 pm every day (last entry at 5 pm). The Jingzhou Museum is not be closed on Mondays during the exhibition. Visitors can search for "Jingzhou Museum Animal Heads Special Exhibition" on Alipay to enter the mini app to buy tickets. The ticket price is RMB 20 per person.
Zheng Lei, Secretary of the Party Committee of Jingzhou Museum, said: "Next, we will jointly organize exhibitions with well-known museums in Changjiang Delta and Zhujiang Delta to promote the going out and bringing in of Jingchu cultural relics, and facilitate exchanges and mutual learning between the Jingchu civilization and other civilizations.”