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SCMP Reporter

THE HISTORY AROUND China's most famous landmark is brought vividly to life in The Great Wall: Gems of Cultural Relics of the Nomadic Tribes exhibition.

Around 118 artifacts, each with a fascinating story, are on display until March 10 next year at the Hong Kong Museum of History.

The Great Wall, which stretches 50,000 kilometres, was built to defend the Chinese Han people from nomadic tribes from the north. Many stories and secrets are buried under its foundations.

For example, an unearthed golden crown reveals that tigers once lived on the vast grasslands of Inner Mongolia about 2,000 years ago. The crown belonged to a king of the Xiongnu tribe during the Warring States period (475 to 221 BC).

On the top of the crown, an eagle is depicted watching a fight between a wolf and a goat.

Further down a tiger and a horse lie.

Dr Joseph Ting Sun-pao, chief curator of the museum, says: 'The art describes what the people saw during that time.

'Tigers existed in that area before erosion destroyed much of the grassland.'

A map hanging in the exhibition hall is proof of the excellent work of Manchu spies. The map shows nine military zones along the Great Wall. The large characters indicate it was drawn by an artist during the Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644 AD).

Next to them are much smaller Manchu translations.

'It was found in the palace in Shengyang, a city the Manchus used as their capital before they defeated the Ming dynasty,' says Dr Ting.

'They had stolen the painting, and had studied it very carefully to learn where on the Ming border to attack.'

Foreign religions brought to the region not only their beliefs and gods, but also their art.

An ornately-decorated Koran is among the items on display from a private Ming dynasty collection.

The Arabic is written in gold, with Persian script translations between the lines.

The book is also painted with the sapphire blue and red colours that are typical of book design and art from the Islamic world.

Other highlights of the exhibition include the first pair of stirrups ever used.

In addition, a gilt silver mask used in the burial of an aristocrat of the Khitan tribe, and part of a spectacular array of chariots and horsemen from the Eastern Han dynasty (25 to 220 AD) are on display.

Also featured in the exhibition is a history of the Great Wall. It covers the wall's origin, function and restoration, and its political and military significance.

It also looks at how people's perception of the largest ancient defence network ever built evolved over time.

The Hong Kong Museum of History is at 100 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui. It is closed on Tuesdays except public holidays



Exhibition reveals the secrets and stories unearthed from beneath China's Great Wall