In 2026, Liaoning Provincial Museum will further innovate its curation concepts, meticulously planning its exhibition layout for the entire year. Guided by the philosophy of “Tapping into Collections, Dialoguing Past and Present, Connecting China and the World”, the museum aims to establish a long-term mechanism for inter-museum collaboration and joint exhibitions. This initiative will assist small and medium-sized museums within the province in developing exhibition systems that are thematically distinct, multi-layered, and combine academic depth with public appeal, presenting audiences with a year-round cultural feast.
This year, Liaoning Provincial Museum will launch 25 exhibitions, comprising 13 premium exhibitions, 1 overseas exhibition, 6 inter-provincial exchange exhibitions, and 5 intra-provincial exhibitions. These exhibitions reflect four key themes: Civilization Exploration and Regional Narrative; Ode to the Era and Spirit Inheritance; Traditional Culture and Contemporary Innovation; Artistic Dialogue and Civilizational Exchange and Mutual Learning.
The exhibition “What Makes Liaoning” delves into Liaoning’s unique position within the pluralistic yet integrated structure of Chinese civilization, tracing the threads of regional culture from a broad historical perspective. The “Exhibition of the Artifacts Unearthed from the Imperial Mausoleums Complex of the Liao Dynasty in the Yiwulyu Mountain” will, for the first time, systematically showcase the archaeological findings from these sites, elucidating the historical and cultural essence of the Liao Dynasty. “Songs of Seasonal Joy in Chinese New Year Prints” and the exhibition “Galloping Hooves: Chinese Zodiac Artifacts Exhibition for the Bingwu Year of the Horse” are closely tied to festival customs. “Exhibition on Excellent Traditional Chinese Family Rules, Family Precepts and Family Traditions” promotes exemplary family traditions and precepts, while “Exhibition of Excellent Art Works Funded by the China National Arts Fund in 2026” displays new vistas in contemporary art creation.
In 2026, Liaoning Provincial Museum will introduce the “Exhibition on the Xia, Shang and Zhou Civilizations in Henan Province”, presenting the early forms of the Chinese state. The museum will also collaborate with Suzhou Museum to present the special exhibition on the “Prosperous Suzhou”. The “Prosperous Suzhou”, a monumental work by the Qing Dynasty court painter Xu Yang depicting the scenery and life of Suzhou, is a national first-class cultural relic. This 12-meter-long handscroll meticulously portrays the prosperous scenes of Suzhou during the Qing Dynasty, hailed as the “Encyclopedia of Qing-Dynasty Suzhou”. This special exhibition marks the second time this renowned masterpiece depicting Suzhou returns to its place of origin. It is not only a precious journey of “cultural relics returning home” but also a grand event for cultural exchange between Suzhou and Liaoning, jointly interpreting Jiangnan culture.
International exchange exhibitions are also a focus for Liaoning Provincial Museum this year. “Angkor: The Millennium Treasure of the Ancient Khmer” showcases the splendid ancient civilization of Cambodia, marking the first exhibition of Cambodian cultural relics in Liaoning. Liaoning Provincial Museum will also present “Elegance in Rivers and Mountains: An Immersive Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Shan Shui Paintings from the Liaoning Provincial Museum” at the Silicon Valley Asian Art Center in the USA, using the elegance of landscape painting to build a new bridge for cultural exchange between China and the West. In 2026, Liaoning Provincial Museum will continue to provide the public with vivid perspectives for understanding the historical depth, spiritual height, and contemporary dynamism of Chinese civilization.
