Hong Kong Palace Museum | HKPM Special Exhibition Talk Series | Exploring the Origins of Chinese Civilisation

Archaeological research suggests that major cultural regions along the Yellow River and the Yangtze River already possessed basic characteristics of civilisation around 4,500 BP, with Liangzhu, Taosi, and Shimao cultures among the first to develop into preliminary state societies. The emergence of civilisation can be traced to 5,500–5,000 BP, when cultures such as Lingjiatan, Niuheliang, Xipo, Dawenkou, Nanzao, Shuanghuaishu, Qujialing-Shijiahe, and others along the Yellow, Yangtze, and Xiliao rivers showed increased social complexity.

These archaeological findings highlight the prominence of diverse regional cultural traditions and the simultaneous development of various regional civilisations. They provide new insight into the origin and early development of Chinese civilisation throughout China’s continuous history of over 5,000 years.

This talk accompanies the special exhibition Bank of China (Hong Kong) Presents: “The Origins of Chinese Civilisation” on view in Gallery 8 at the Hong Kong Palace Museum from 25 September 2024 to 7 February 2025. The exhibition is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Palace Museum and Art Exhibitions China, and sponsored by Bank of China (Hong Kong), the Museum’s strategic partner.

* The exhibition catalogues (Traditional Chinese and English editions) are now available at the Museum’s gift shop ART EXPRESS by The Commercial Press (G/F). A special discount will be offered on the event day, exclusively at the sales counter outside the Auditorium (In case of dispute, the decision of the organisers shall be final).

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