Tang dynasty's links with the world on display at Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre

South China Morning Post

a day ago

Modern Hong Kong youth might be surprised to find some kinship with life in the Tang dynasty capital, Changan, over 1,000 years ago.
Just as Tang society blended Persian jewellery with music from the ancient Sogdian people, Hong Kong streetwear borrows from cultures around the world.
This ancient cross-cultural fusion is on display at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre's exhibition, 'Tang Vogue Beyond the Horizons: A Golden Era of Multicultural Integration and Openness'.
'At its peak, Changan, the Tang dynasty capital, was a multi-ethnic, fashion-forward capital – a city of polo matches, tea-drinking, theatrical performances, acrobatics and music spilling into the streets,' said Sam Wu Man-lap, a curator at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre.
The ancient imperial city was located northwest of modern-day Xian in Shaanxi province.
Visitors to the exhibition can see examples of Persian-inspired gold ornaments, pottery and luxury imports that speak to the cosmopolitan flair of the Tang dynasty (618-907).
Wu explained that Tang fashion often made a statement: bright silks, bold patterns and foreign-inspired cuts. Women rode horses, wore male garments and embraced diverse ideals of beauty.
Sam Wu is a curator at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre. Photo: Handout
By framing these artefacts alongside the narrative of Changan's vibrant culture, the exhibition invites Hongkongers to recognise a shared love of self-expression and cultural fusion across the centuries.
Organised by the Antiquities and Monuments Office in partnership with the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the exhibition assembles 298 artefacts from 28 museums and cultural institutions across mainland China – including 49 cultural relics and 29 Tang-era pieces unearthed in Hong Kong itself.
Across eight thematic sections, visitors will encounter the opulence of Tang dynasty politics, the dynamism of its cities, the ingenuity of its artisans, the diversity of its religions, and the far-reaching networks of its land and maritime trade.
According to Wu, the event is a living conversation between history and the modern city.
'This exhibition showcases how the Tang dynasty was a true melting pot of cultures, ideas and styles – something Hong Kong's young generation can really relate to today,' the curator said.
'The vibrancy of Changan, with its daring fashion and open-mindedness, mirrors the energy and diversity we see on our city's streets.'
Hong Kong's connections to the Maritime Silk Road
The exhibition also aims to bridge the history of trade routes between Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
In Tang times, Guangzhou was the empire's most important maritime port. Ships departing its docks sailed through Hong Kong's waters – particularly near Tuen Mun – using the area as a mid-route replenishment stop.
Archaeological finds from Hong Kong, including Changsha pottery, Tang coins and silverware, confirm its role as an active node in a global trade web.
This history affirms that Hong Kong's outward-looking, trade-oriented identity is not a recent phenomenon, but a legacy woven into its geography.
'This exhibition is not about locking history in glass cases. It's about showing students that the Tang dynasty's energy, creativity and global reach are part of their own heritage,' Wu said.
'Every artefact tells a story that connects the past to the present – and to Hong Kong's place in the world.'
Pieces you should check out
Wu hopes students feel inspired knowing that history is not just about dusty relics but about bold people who shape a connected world.
For Hong Kong's younger audience, these artefacts shine as portals into the Tang world.
Gold jie hair ornament: Excavated in Yangzhou, this intricate openwork ornament with Buddhist-inspired celestial figures embodies the Tang dynasty's high-fashion spirit. It reminds us that Tang women, with over 140 recorded hairstyles, embraced a freedom of style that feels strikingly modern.
Tang dynasty women often wore decorative ornaments in their hair, called 'jie'. Photo: Handout
Silver fragment inscribed with 'Wan Sui Duan Zhou': Unearthed on Lantau Island, this piece is a rare, tangible link between Hong Kong and the Tang dynasty's bustling maritime Silk Road. It bears the name of a Tang-era silver-production centre, called 'Duan Zhou', and the auspicious phrase 'Wan Sui'. It likely travelled from the Xi River to Guangzhou before being loaded onto ships bound for Southeast Asia, South Asia and beyond.
The silver fragment's presence in Hong Kong could point to a shipwreck in local waters, or it could reflect Hong Kong's role as a stopover, where vessels anchored for supplies and repairs, or to await favourable winds before resuming their journey.
This fragment of a silver piece is believed to have come from present-day Zhaoqing in Guangdong province. Photo: Handout
Gold ornament decorated with a standing phoenix and inlaid with turquoise: This ornament blends motifs from Persia and Central China. The turquoise beads and gold are crafted into an intricate design that reflects the multicultural influences on fashion at the time.
This gold ornament is from the collection of the Qinghai Tibetan Medicine Culture Museum. Photo: Handout
'Tang Vogue Beyond the Horizons: A Golden Era of Multicultural Integration and Openness' is on display until December 31 at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. Entry is free.