This year marks the 2575th anniversary of Confucius’s birth, and during the National Day holiday, the Palace Museum has launched a significant exhibition titled “On the Path of Greatness: A Special Exhibition on Confucian Culture.” This exhibition features 380 artifacts from both domestic and international sources, inviting visitors to explore the millennia-old wisdom of Confucian culture.
The exhibition’s theme, “On the Path of Greatness,” is derived from the “Book of Rites,” expressing Confucian ideals of establishing a world of shared prosperity and moral integrity. This pursuit not only embodies the classic expression of the Confucian ideal of a “Great Unity” society, but it has also been continually reinterpreted to reflect contemporary realities, showcasing China’s unique understanding and dedication to building a shared future for humanity. The exhibition is divided into three sections: “Tracing the Roots of Confucianism,” “Transforming the World,” and “An Eternal Teacher,” presenting a rich tapestry of archaeological findings, literature, and cultural artifacts that illuminate the historical development of Confucian thought and its profound global influence.
Among the first items on display is the “Confucius Mirror,” unearthed from the Western Han Dynasty’s Haihunhou Tomb. This mirror reveals how people during that era envisioned Confucius, featuring images of him alongside his disciple Yan Hui on its reverse side.
In addition to the “Confucius Mirror,” the exhibition showcases rare artifacts such as pottery shards from the Warnings Cave in Jiangxi Province dating back 20,000 years, which feature symbols reminiscent of the Bagua, and Neolithic pottery that outlines the diverse and unified fabric of Chinese civilization. The exhibition also includes artifacts reflecting the standardization of script after the unification of China under the Qin Dynasty. With Emperor Wu of Han adopting Confucianism as the state ideology, the foundation of Chinese traditional culture was firmly established for the next two millennia. Notably, “On the Path of Greatness: A Special Exhibition on Confucian Culture” will run until January 5 of next year.
The exhibition also highlights valuable artifacts such as a piece from the Osaka Museum of Fine Arts, a scroll attributed to the Tang Dynasty artist Wang Wei, titled “Fusheng Teaching the Classics.” The scroll depicts the story of Fusheng, who hid his treasured “Book of Documents” in the walls of his home during the Qin Dynasty. During the Han Dynasty, as this essential Confucian text was on the verge of being lost, the court sought Fusheng’s help, allowing the preservation of this critical work.
According to Xiong Changyun from the Palace Museum’s Department of Antiquities, Fusheng memorized the 28 chapters of the “Book of Documents” through oral teaching, making it the most important source of this classic text as we know it today. Interestingly, this historical artifact is exhibited for only one month due to its significance. Another highlight consists of three Eastern Han stone scriptures and four from the Three Kingdoms period, which represented the authoritative versions of Confucian classics before the advent of printing.
Xiong noted, “Handwritten manuscripts are prone to errors, so during the Eastern Han period, officials recognized this issue and created the first set of stone inscriptions, establishing an authoritative version of Confucian texts.” Some of these stone scriptures are inscribed in three different scripts: ancient Chinese characters, small seal script, and clerical script, presented in both “品” character and aligned formats.
Xiong explained that these scripts represent three historical periods preceding the Eastern Han: the Warring States (ancient characters), the Qin Dynasty (small seal script), and the Han Dynasty (clerical script), demonstrating the continuity of Confucian classics across different writing styles.
The stone inscriptions, now significantly weathered over the millennia, are resurrected in the exhibit through rubbings that offer glimpses into their past forms. Xiong remarked on the difficulty of matching fragmented characters with their positions in ancient texts, emphasizing that each fragment symbolizes a piece of lost civilization. “These solid stones are challenging to preserve, yet the legacy of Confucianism thrives through the dedication of scholars across generations, keeping it vibrant and present in our lives.”
Confucian culture has continuously evolved alongside other excellent philosophical traditions in the development of the Chinese nation, serving as a vital spiritual resource for its resilience and growth. Moreover, it continues to provide valuable insights for global communication, understanding, and the exchange of civilizations.
