Visitors to National Museum Cardiff will have an exclusive opportunity to see a unique exhibition of ancient rock carvings from China - sculptures which have never before been seen outside China. From Steep Hillsides: Ancient Rock Carvings from Dazu, China will be exhibited from Wednesday 26 January to Sunday 3 April 2011.
The steep hillsides of the Dazu World Heritage site near Chongqing contain an exceptional series of rock carvings dating from the 9th to the 13th centuries. The carvings comprise some 50,000 figures in total, and are remarkable for their aesthetic quality, their rich diversity of subject matter, both secular and religious, and the light that they shed on everyday life in China during this period.
According to David Anderson, Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales’s Director General.
“Hosting their first appearance outside of China is a privilege not just for the Museum but for Wales. I am confident this will be a popular exhibition and hope this is the beginning of a successful relationship between us and the Chongqing Culture Bureau.”
The free exhibition is a cultural exchange between Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales and the Chongqing Culture Bureau which is part of the burgeoning relationship between Wales and the Chinese municipality of Chongqing. With help from the British Council’s Connections Through Culture China-UK programme, a scheme supported by the Welsh Assembly Government, the two organisations were able to build a relationship and develop this exciting cultural collaboration.
Carwyn Jones, First Minister for Wales, will officially welcome guests from China at the launch of the exhibition held at National Museum Cardiff. He said:
“I’m delighted that these sacred rock carvings are coming to Wales and that National Museum Cardiff is the only secured venue for this important exhibition before it returns to Dazu. This exhibition further strengthens our cultural relationship with the Chongqing municipality in China.“
Further images are available here.
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