Exhibition of Chinese artifacts unveiled in India

The Archaeological Survey of India is showcasing Chinese artifacts from 10 different museums around China. After a successful show in New Delhi and Mumbai, the exhibition has toured to Hyderabad of southern India's Andhra Pradesh state.

The exhibition was organized by the Archaeological Survey of India in collaboration with the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China.

The two-month long exhibition, which started on June 23rd in Salar Jung Museum showcases 94 artifacts of ancient Chinese culture ranging from the Neolithic period, about 10 thousand BC, to the Qing dynasty in the 18th century. They also included two statues from the famous Terracotta Warriors collection from the tomb of Zhang Sheng, Anyang of Henan Province.

Organizers said that the exhibition was held with a view to enhance cultural ties and bring about awareness of the similarities of both the Indian and the Chinese culture.

Hundreds of visitors across different states of the country have seen the touring exhibition.

Sakshi, student from Chandigarh, India, said, "I think this is a very good thing that artifacts are coming from China and we are displaying it here. So, we would be able to know what Chinese culture is all about and the kind of artifacts they make. We also saw the artifacts of Bodhisattva here. So, we also came to know about the Chinese culture and that's a good thing."

The exhibition features tri-colored pottery figurines, terracotta warriors, stone sculptures and bronze vessels, as well as jade and porcelain pieces.

The Salar Jung Museum houses one of the largest private-collections in the world.

The exhibition is a reciprocal cultural exchange for an Indian exhibition held in China during 2007.