Impression of Khitan: Exhibition of Cultural Relics of Liao Dynasty

The vibrant Liao civilization emerged from centuries of exchange and mutual influence among the Khitan, Han, and other ethnic groups. As a brilliant gem in the history of Chinese civilization, it occupies a significant place in the cultural development of northern China.

Co-hosted by the Guangdong Museum and the Inner Mongolia Museum, this exhibition brings together 138 exceptional Liao-period artifacts from cultural institutions across Inner Mongolia. Among them are 70 first-grade cultural relics, 9 second-grade cultural relics, and 14 third-grade cultural relics, spanning gold and silver ware, jade, ceramics, glassware, and more. Many exhibits come from major Liao tombs and urban sites: the gold funerary mask of a Liao prince, gilt copper horse trappings with cloud motifs, a glass plate with nipple-like pattern, a white-glazed ewer with a human head and a makara spout, a lacquer box with silver-inlaid flower-and-birds motif, and a celadon jade openwork Flying Apsara—masterpieces rarely seen together. Through these richly diverse artifacts, the exhibition illuminates the Liao elite’s extraordinary funerary customs, the expansive nomadic culture of the Khitan, and the refined aesthetics of aristocratic dress and daily life. While appreciating the splendor of Liao material culture, visitors can further understand the broader political, social, and cultural landscape of the Liao dynasty.

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