China News Service, Taiyuan, January 14th (Reporter Li Xinsuo Hu Jian) Neolithic rabbit bone specimens dating back 5,000 years ago, bronze rabbit statues unearthed from the cemetery of Jinhou in the Western Zhou Dynasty, and detailed Qing Dynasty rabbit brick carvings.
On January 14, Shanxi launched the "Unearthed Rabbit Cultural Relics Exhibition", allowing the public to experience the rabbit culture in the cultural relics up close.
On that day, people from all walks of life, including Shanxi cultural relics, archeology, and culture, gathered at the Shanxi Archaeological Museum to explain the rabbit culture in the hearts of Chinese people with more than 50 pieces of rabbit cultural relics from Shanxi.
The above-mentioned cultural relics are made of bronze, jade, pottery and other materials, and the time span extends from the Neolithic Age 5,000 years ago to the Republic of China.
In front of the star exhibit - the bronze rabbit statue unearthed from the cemetery of Zhou Jinhou in Quwoxi, visitors picked up their mobile phones to take pictures.
The curator Zhang Jun said that the bronze rabbit statues with various images were unearthed from the cemetery of the Marquis of Jin.
Among the bronze statues unearthed in China, artifacts with the image of rabbits are extremely rare.
In Chinese cultural imagery, the cuteness and agility of rabbits have long been integrated into life.
In this exhibition, there are rabbit bone specimens from the site of Bi Village, Xingxian County, Shanxi Province more than 5,000 years ago; funeral utensils from the feudal states about 3,000 years ago; bronze mirrors and pressing coins from the Tang and Song Dynasties; rabbit-shaped brick carvings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, etc. , which together reflect the Chinese people's love for rabbits.
Zhang Xiaoqiang, Director of the Museum and Social Relics Department of the Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics, said that the twelve zodiac signs are the most popular traditional cultural symbols among the Chinese people and even in the entire Chinese cultural circle.
Among them, the rabbit is smart and cute, with a docile temperament, and has been loved by the Chinese people since ancient times.
"When our ancestors loved, raised, and hunted rabbits, they used to depict the image of rabbits on the utensils of life, and left a large number of jade, porcelain, bronze and other cultural relics related to rabbits. Myths, legends and folk allusions related to the Jade Rabbit are also popular all over the country."
Shanxi launched the "Unearthed Rabbit Cultural Relics Exhibition".
Photo by Wei Liang
"Chinese ancestors learned survival wisdom from rabbits, such as being quick-witted and able to avoid disasters." Zhang Jun said that out of love for rabbits, the ancients carved the image of rabbits on utensils or wore them as mascots.
For example, pre-Qin cultural relics such as Shang and Zhou jade rabbits and rabbit-shaped chariots.
As a major province of cultural relics, the Shanxi Archaeological Museum has solicited from various sources, trying to show the variety of rabbit cultural relics from the perspective of "shape, spirit, and meaning" of rabbits.
Zhang Jun said that more than 1,400 years ago, the earliest images of the twelve zodiac signs in Shanxi appeared in the tombs of Lou Rui of the Northern Qi Dynasty in Taiyuan and the tombs of the Northern Qi Dynasty in Shuiquanliang, Shuozhou.
In Shuozhou Shuiquan Liang Beiqi tomb, there are complete, realistic and auspicious pictures of the zodiac.
Among them, "the zodiac rabbit has a plump body, big eyes and long ears, and its hind legs fly into the air, like running."
In addition, the Shang Dynasty Jade Rabbit from Lingshi, Shanxi is the earliest rabbit-shaped cultural relic in Shanxi.
January 14 is the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, a small year in northern China.
The exhibition on that day attracted many parent-child and study tour groups to visit.
Tourist Zhang Min said that Shanxi is rich in cultural relics.
On the eve of the Spring Festival, I brought my children to visit the rabbit cultural relics exhibition, "I want him to understand and be familiar with excellent traditional culture from an early age, and to retain the traditional Chinese New Year flavor."
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