Mayan civilization exhibition in Central China strengthens cultural exchange

ZHENGZHOU -- The ongoing exhibition "Mayas, Ceiba and Cosmos" in Central China's Henan province, one of the main birthplaces and development areas of Chinese civilization, has attracted many visitors, offering them a unique opportunity to explore the resonances between the Chinese and Mayan civilizations and to enhance the cultural exchanges between China and Mexico.

The exhibition, held at the Henan Museum, features 209 pieces or sets of cultural relics from four museums affiliated with Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), 90 percent of which are being exhibited in China for the first time.

"The painted pottery of the Mayan civilization reminded me of that of the Yangshao culture. Both are incredibly colorful and vibrant," said Zhu Peipei, a Zhengzhou resident.

Born in the depths of Central American tropical jungles, the Mayan civilization achieved great accomplishments in areas such as science, agriculture, culture and art, as well as in several other fields, earning it the reputation of the "Greece of the Americas."

"The exhibition includes various types of cultural relics, such as pottery, stone carvings, jade ware, statues, murals and architectural components, among others, which vividly illustrate the Mayan civilization during the Classic Period in terms of religious beliefs, political structure, concepts of life and death, and other aspects," said Ma Xiaolin, curator of the Henan Museum.

China and Mexico are both major cultural countries with ancient civilizations. Despite the thousands of kilometers separating the Mayan and Chinese cultures, they resonate in many ways in their essence.

The Mayan pyramid observatories and the Dengfeng Observatory's sundial in Henan coincide in their persistent ancestral exploration of the mysteries of the universe; the Mayan reverence for nature finds equivalence with the Chinese philosophical concept of "unity of heaven and man," and the sacred Mayan ceiba tree has a reflection in the imagination of the jianmu tree that reaches the heavens in the ancient Chinese mythological classic, "Shan Hai Jing" (Classic of Mountains and Seas).

"Henan is one of the important cradles of Chinese civilization, and that is one of the reasons we chose this province as the first venue for the exhibition," said Alejandro González Villarruel, a professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and curator with INAH.

The expert said he hopes this exhibition will deepen mutual understanding between the two peoples and promote exchanges and mutual learning between the two civilizations.

Starting from May 28, "Mayas, Ceiba and Cosmos" is open to the public until Oct. 8 and is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors interested in appreciating the mysterious Mayan civilization.

In recent years, Henan has hosted several international exhibitions, reflecting the expanding impact of the cultural exhibition craze in China.

"On the one hand, Henan, as a province rich in cultural relics, has abundant historical resources, making it a key stage for narratives and dialogues between civilizations. On the other hand, the growing interest of the local public, especially the youth, in high-quality exhibitions has driven the increase in international exhibitions," said Chang Weifeng, a researcher at the Henan institute of culture and tourism.

In recent years, Chinese museums have actively promoted global cultural exchange, collaborating with world-renowned institutions to bring high-level foreign exhibitions to the country.

"Museums are like 'reception halls' for dialogue between civilizations. Through high-quality international exhibitions, audiences from different cultural backgrounds can deepen their exchange and mutual understanding, thereby promoting the progress and shared prosperity of humanity," said Chen Shaofeng, a professor at Peking University.