On January 6, 2025, an exhibition titled “Jade from the Kunlun Mountains: Special Exhibition on Hetian Jade Culture in the Qing Court” opened at the Palace Museum.
The opening ceremony of the exhibition was attended by Wang Xudong, a member of the CPC Leadership Group of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) and director of the Palace Museum; Liu Yuzhu, chairman of the China Cultural Relics Protection Foundation; Du Haijiang, Party secretary and deputy director of the Palace Museum; Wei Ji, deputy director general of the Department of Finance of the MCT; Peng Shituan, a second-level inspector of the General Office of the MCT; and Li Jun, a member of the CPC Leadership Group of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Party secretary and director of the Cultural Heritage Administration of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Other attendees of the opening ceremony, hosted by Ren Wanping, deputy director of the Palace Museum, included officials from departments and agencies under the MCT and the National Cultural Heritage Administration, as well as representatives from related societies, associations, and foundations. The exhibition is organized by the Palace Museum, co-organized by the Cultural Heritage Administration of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and enjoys full support from the Hong Kong Jockey Club and exclusive sponsorship from the Institute of Philanthropy.
In his speech at the opening ceremony, Du Haijiang highlighted the important remarks given by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the national conference regarding the commendation of ethnic unity and progress role models on September 27, 2024. Calling China, with a civilization spanning over 5,000 years, a great nation, Xi said that all ethnic groups had written the glorious history of China, fostered a rich Chinese culture, and nurtured a great national spirit. Xi also said that the intermingling of all ethnic groups had laid the foundation for the formation and development of a community for the Chinese nation. The multi-ethnic region of Xinjiang has been an inseparable part of Chinese territory since ancient times, and its residents from various ethnic groups are important members of the great Chinese family, bound by blood ties and shared destiny. This exhibition, using jade as a medium, displays representative Hetian jade artifacts in the Qing court. It presents visitors a unique entry point into jade culture while also serving as a crucial pathway to navigate both Xinjiang and China’s stories, further forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.
Hetian jade is not only the central pillar of Chinese jade culture but also testament to the nation’s history and traditional culture. Hetian (or Hotan) in Xinjiang has been China’s most important source of jade since the Neolithic period. In 1761, the 26th year of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign, the implementation of the tribute jade system elevated Hetian jade to its highest historical prominence. This period saw unprecedented growth and prosperity in both the crafting and use of Hetian jade, known as the third peak in the development of Chinese jade art.
The exhibition title “Jade from the Kunlun Mountains” is taken from the ancient Chinese language primer Thousand-Character Classic. The majestic Kunlun Mountains, with their endless snow-covered peaks and torrential rivers, are the source of Hetian jade. The Hetian jade of the Qing court has endured nature’s trials and artisans’ careful crafting, embodying the diligence and wisdom of the working people and representing a significant part of Chinese jade culture. The Palace Museum organized this special exhibition to showcase the enduring brilliance of Hetian jade culture. The exhibition features 258 representative Hetian jade masterpieces from the Qing court, divided into five sections: “Origins of Jade,” “Ritual Jade,” “Elegance of Jade,” “Ingeniously-crafted Jade,” and “Jade Ornaments and Dining Wares.” It aims to make the Hetian jade culture of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) more accessible, showcase exchanges and interactions among ethnic groups during the Qing period, and promote China’s fine traditional culture.
As a treasure house of the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization, the Palace Museum stands as both a repository of China’s finest cultural traditions and a testament to centuries of cultural exchange and integration. Through displaying Hetian jade culture, this exhibition offers visitors a unique insight into how jade served as a bridge for cultural exchange and mutual learning throughout Chinese civilization. Highlights of the exhibition include the Hetian jade pixie (a legendary beast in Chinese mythology) from the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD), seal of the “Great Qing Receiving the Mandate” — dubbed the top of Emperor Qianlong’s 25 treasures, a jade ornament carved with the Emperor Qianlong’s poems about jade mining, and Hindustan jade pieces reflecting interactions between the Qing Dynasty and foreign regions. Among the exhibits, 130 precious artifacts are on show for the first time.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a published picture catalog, and an online exhibition will be launched simultaneously on the Palace Museum’s official website. Updates about the exhibition will be shared across all the museum’s social media platforms, including Weibo, WeChat, and video channels. The museum will also host a series of public lectures to enhance visitors’ understanding of the exhibition. For upcoming lecture schedules, follow the “Palace Museum Publicity and Education” account on WeChat.
The exhibition is located at the Hall for Abstinence (Zhai gong) of the Palace Museum and is open to the public from January 7, 2025 to January 4, 2026. The exhibition is included in general admission and requires no additional booking.