The exhibition, entitled The Legacy of Good Family Traditions: Exhibition on Traditional Chinese Family Rules, Teachings, and Values, has been open at the Liaoning Provincial Museum since August 12. The exhibition features 112 pieces (sets) of cultural relics, encompassing calligraphic works, paintings, seals, and ancient books, and is divided into six sections: “Long-Standing Development”, “Foundation of Existence”, “Model for Family Education”, “Glorious History”, “Continuing the Legacy”, and “Legacy in Liaoning”.

Drawing upon the museum’s rich resources of cultural relics, and ancient books and records, the exhibition delves into the spirit of self-cultivation, family harmony, and upholding virtue and integrity embodied in the family rules and teachings of sages throughout history. It systematically traces the development and contemporary value of traditional Chinese family culture. Threading classic family teachings passed down through generations, from Confucius’ “family tradition of poetry and propriety” to Zhuge Liang’s “cultivating oneself with tranquility and nurturing virtue with frugality”, the exhibition vividly interprets the profound and enduring significance of Chinese family culture. From the character of sages, one can see the essentials of self-cultivation; through the serenity of cultural relics, one can realize the importance of passing down family traditions; and amid the fragrance of ancient books, one can understand the fundamental principles of living in the world.

Among the exhibits, the “Wen Tianxiang’s Cursive Script Preface to the Wooden Rooster Collection” is particularly eye-catching. This scroll is a small cursive script preface written by Wen Tianxiang for the poetry collection of his fellow townsman Zhang Qiang before Wen gave up writing to join the army. It is one of Wen’s last calligraphic works. The exhibition also gathers precious collections from several other museums and cultural institutions. The “Portrait Scroll of Fan Zhongyan” from the Nanjing Museum accurately restores the court dress system of the Three Ducal Ministers in the Song Dynasty. The “Fan Zhongyan’s Tortoise-Shaped Knob Square Seal” from the Suzhou Museum has a neatly spaced font, and a plain and antique appearance, whose carving technique is a blend of the abstract and the concrete.