On December 14, the "Civilization Vanguard: Lingjiatan Culture Jade Exhibition" opened at the Palace Museum. A total of 399 significant artifacts from five archaeological and cultural institutions across the country gathered at the Wenhua Hall of the Forbidden City. Among the key exhibits are the "Carved Jade Tablet," which contains rich philosophical thought, the "Double Ring Jade Disc," which inspired the design of the medals for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, and the "Jade Turtle," which reflects the natural worship of the Neolithic era. Many of these precious artifacts are being exhibited for the first time.

Xu Lin, a research curator at the Palace Museum, stated, "This is the first time the Palace Museum has fully showcased the jade artifacts excavated from Lingjiatan in a panoramic display. It’s quite rare. The most notable exhibit is the turtle tablet, also known as the carved jade tablet, unearthed from Tomb No. 4 in 1987."

The Lingjiatan site, located in Hanshan County, Ma'anshan City, Anhui Province, dates back approximately 5,800 to 5,300 years and is one of the iconic sites from the "Ancient Kingdoms Era" of Chinese civilization. Since its discovery in 1985, there have been 15 archaeological excavations, yielding over 3,000 artifacts, including more than 1,200 jade items. The Lingjiatan culture is recognized alongside the Hongshan and Liangzhu cultures as one of China’s three major jade culture centers. This exhibition, centered around exquisite jade artifacts, fully demonstrates the importance of the Lingjiatan site as a testament to over 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.

The exhibition will run from December 15, 2024, to March 16, 2025, and the Palace Museum's official website will also launch an online exhibition simultaneously.

Source: Anhui News