After a decade, returning to the Gansu Provincial Museum's exhibition halls, the familiar weight of history was tinged with a refreshing surprise. The excitement of reunion intensified as I witnessed the transformation of the exhibition layout and exhibits.
The Gansu Provincial Museum's exhibition layout is most clearly "scientific," far more than a simple display of artifacts. Focusing on "Yellow River Culture," it weaves together prehistoric civilization, Silk Road trade, and the intermingling of multiple ethnic groups into a clear thread. From the juxtaposition of painted pottery and agricultural tools from the Dadiwan site, you can directly witness the transition from slash-and-burn agriculture to pottery cooking. In the Silk Road exhibition hall, Hu merchant figurines unearthed from the Hexi Corridor, Persian silver coins, and Central Plains silk are brought together in a single narrative space, instantly capturing the vibrant commercial scene of "camel bells ringing across Europe and Asia." Even more thoughtfully, each exhibition area is accompanied by lightweight text explanations and multimedia videos, avoiding academic obscurity while also preventing history from being reduced to "picture-based object identification." Even children can follow the clues and understand the stories behind the artifacts. If the exhibition layout is the "skeleton," the exhibits are the living, breathing "flesh and blood" of Gansu's museum. Its richness lies in its collection of unique national treasures. Besides the well-known "Horse Stepping on Flying Swallow" (a bronze galloping horse), there's also China's largest "Bronze Chariot and Horse Guard of Honor," featuring 38 bronze horses, one axe cart, and four chariots neatly arranged, as if ready to carry Han Dynasty soldiers on the Silk Road. The "Human Face and Newt Painted Pottery Vase" from the Yangshao culture, with its eerie yet vibrant human face and newt motifs, is a rare relic of the spiritual world of prehistoric ancestors. Furthermore, manuscripts and Tangut Buddhist scriptures unearthed from the Dunhuang Caves quietly speak of Gansu's unique status as a treasure trove of literature. These exhibits are more than just artifacts; they are a condensed, tangible, and comprehensive history of Gansu.
Compared to many museums, Gansu's uniqueness lies in its irreplaceable "regional DNA." Rather than pursuing comprehensiveness, the museum culminates in the quintessential characteristics of the "Upper Yellow River Civilization" and the "Golden Section of the Silk Road." While other museums may exhibit painted pottery, few offer the complete sequence of painted pottery from the Dadiwan, Majiayao, and Qijia cultures, allowing you to clearly see how painted pottery evolved from simplicity to sophistication. While other museums can tell the story of the Silk Road, the museum's exhibits primarily draw from local sites. From the bronze galloping horse from the Leitai Han Tomb to the statues from Bingling Temple, each piece exudes the essence of Gansu's soil, creating a sense of distance. Even more remarkable is its lack of deliberate attempts to create a sense of distance. For example, the "Bronze Galloping Horse" exhibit features multi-angle viewing platforms, allowing you to clearly see the exquisite balance of the horse's feet on the flying swallow. These details, which make national treasures approachable, are precisely what makes the museum so captivating.
Ten years later, the Gansu Provincial Museum has not been confined to the "memories of the old museum," but has brought history to life with more scientific exhibition arrangements, more vibrant exhibits, and a more unique regional expression. Revisiting this place is not only a reunion with the past, but also a dialogue with a Gansu that is both "familiar and fresh," spanning millennia.