Empires strike back

Terracotta warrior of the Qin Dyansty and a marble statue of a Roman emperor.

The two empires at both ends of the Silk Road meet at the Beijing World Art Museum.

An ongoing exhibition entitled Qin, Han and Roman Civilizations takes viewers back to the great eras of the Qin and Han dynasties and the Roman Empire, between the 3rd century BC and the 2nd century AD.

The exhibition is designed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of New China's founding. It's organized by the China State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the Italian Ministry for Cultural Activities and Heritage.

As a major intercultural event staged by the Chinese and Italian governments, the exhibition "brings to life the daily scenes, fine arts and political life of the peoples of the Qin, Han and Roman empires", says Beijing World Art Museum director Wang Limei.

With 489 exhibits on loan from about 80 museums in China and Italy, and numerous models, pictures and videos, the grand exhibition is divided into six parts. It begins with a prologue and then moves on to the establishment of the empires, material civilizations, daily life, the spiritual world and continual integration.

Visitors can see statues of Roman emperors and mythical figures, in addition to paintings, mosaics and rock inscriptions, and tin tubes used for the ancient city of Pompeii's drainage system. These items reveal various aspects of ancient Italians' daily lives.

One eye-catching showpiece from the Roman Empire is a mural once hung in the dining hall of the House of the Golden Bracelet in Pompeii. The mural, Alexander and Ruslana, is 1.5 m high and 1.43 m wide, and depicts the 327 BC wedding ceremony of Emperor Alexander and Queen Ruslana.

It's considered one of the ancient city's most-treasured artifacts, says Stefano Vanacore, director of the city of Pompeii's archaeological restorations department, a key exhibition organizer.

There are also Qin- and Han-era bronze vessels, clay and porcelain pots, silk embroidery, jade- and lacquer-wares, ancient farming tools and traditional Chinese medical equipment.

One highlight is a Han Dynasty bronze mirror. The 1.15-m-high and 0.5-m-wide mirror is believed to be the largest of its kind ever discovered. It was unearthed from a prince's mausoleum in Shandong province and features exquisite dragon and phoenix patterns on its backside.

The exhibition "allows viewers to see how the two empires developed in parallel, creating very influential governments, legal systems and advanced technologies", exhibition curator Wang Duanting says.

Museum wokers unpack t he mural Alexander and Ruslana. It depicts the 327 BC wedding ceremony of Emperor Alexander and queen Ruslana.

"It also shows connections, especially in international trade, between the two empires."

The Qin and Han dynasties and the Roman Empire were two magnificent civilizations that shared the same era. Both played a crucial role in the development of Eastern and Western culture, says Luo Bojian, director of the China Cultural Heritage Exchange Center, a co-organizer.

"With this exhibition, we have made the first-ever attempt of its kind to compare two powerful civilizations of the ancient world."

After its Beijing debut ends on Oct 7, the exhibition will move to Luoyang, where it will stay from November until next February.

It will then move to Milan and Rome in April and September of 2010 to open the "Year of China", a cultural exchange event in Italy.

9 am-5 pm, until Oct 7. Beijing World Art Museum, China Millennium Monument, A9 Fuxinglu, Haidian district. 5980-2222

中华世纪坛世界艺术馆, 海淀区复兴路甲9号