When the Terracotta Army came to Hong Kong
'The publisher of a local leftwing newspaper [Ta Kung Pao], Mr Fei Yi-ming, who was recently elected a Standing Committee member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Peking, is to head an eight-member committee to supervise the work on next month's exhibition in Hongkong of
archaeological finds from China ,' reported the South China Morning Post on March 25, 1978. 'In all, 99 items unearthed in 14 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions of China since 1949 will be on display, according to a press release.'
The South China Morning Post reports on the coming exhibition on March 25, 1978. Photo: SCMP Archives
On April 18, the Post detailed 'some of the wonders of ancient China […] put on show in Hongkong yesterday and among those who went along to see them were the Governor,
Sir Murray MacLehose , and Lady MacLehose. They were attending the preview of the exhibition […] held at the Chinese Export Commodities Exhibition Hall in Star House'.
Governor Sir Murray MacLehose (third from right), Lady MacLehose (fourth from right) and Wang Yeh-chiu (second from right), director of China's Cultural Relics Administrative Bureau, looking at the famed jade suit during the Star House exhibition in 1978. Photo: SCMP Archives
'About a quarter of the exhibits have never been shown outside China before. They include several bronze artefacts of the Shang dynasty and pottery warriors of the
Chin [Qin] dynasty . During the
Shang dynasty (13th century BC), tremendous advancement was made in bronze casting and this is well illustrated by the bronze wine vessels on show.
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Three life-size terracotta warriors of the Chin (Qin) dynasty displayed at the Exhibition of Chinese Archaeological Finds held at Star House in 1978. Photo: SCMP Archives
On June 6, the Post reported that 'the 48-day of exhibition of Chinese archaeological finds ended yesterday with record-breaking crowds. A spokesman for the exhibition's organisers said more than 11,800 people viewed the cultural relics yesterday, the highest number for a single day.
'More than 258,000 people have seen the exhibition since it opened on April 18, the spokesman said.
'The entire exhibit will be taken back to China and items will be returned to the many provincial museums from where they came.'
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